Percy's Twists and Turns
by WiseGirlandSeaweedBrain
Summary: After Percabeth takes a break, one of Percy's friendships turns into something more. Neither of them knew how it would affect the other, that it would be a changing point in their lives. They would go to places they never thought and ones they never wanted to revisit. Percy navigates his adult life while facing the challenges of being a demigod and unexpected turns.
1. Chapter 1

_Warning: Some mention of sex and implied sex, but nothing is described._

Percy POV

I was sitting at the bar with a tall glass of light beer waiting for her. I glanced down at my watch. She was ten minutes late. It was so unlike her to be late, but hey, normally I was the one late, so I couldn't say anything. She had waited countless times for me.

Just as I was worried about the time, she walked into the bar. She glanced around for a moment and smiled when she saw me. I gave her a slight wave and stood up to greet her. She walked over. Her brown hair was up in a curled ponytail. Her blue eyes were smiling along with her mouth. She was wearing a plain purple knee length dress with a black leather jacket.

"Hey Percy," Allie smiled and gave me a hug.

"Hey Al'," I squeezed her back. Gosh, it was so annoying in her heels she was just slightly taller than me. We both sat down. "You seriously need to never wear heels, you're already tall enough."

Allie made a mock sad face. "Aww, is someone's ego hurt because I'm taller than him?"

I finished off my beer. "My ego's never hurt because of you." She rolled her eyes at me. I rose my hand and the bartender came back over. "Another for me and a vodka club soda with a shot of raspberry for her." The bartender nodded and went off.

"You always know what I like," Allie smiled.

"Of course, we've known each other since college. And there was a lot more drinking then" I added.

The drinks came over and Allie started gulping hers immediately. I raised my eyebrow. "Have you had a hard week?"

She sighed. "Yeah, work's been rough." Once she was halfway done with her drink her eyes went wide. "Oh my gosh Percy!" she shrieked out. "It was your birthday on Wednesday, I totally forgot. Happy 25th!"

I gave her a small smile. "It's okay, I know you've been busy. But yeah, yay me," I mocked.

Allie stopped drinking and this time she raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?" I gave her a solemn look again. "Please don't tell me what I think it is," Allie almost pleaded.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, Annabeth decided we needed a break."

"Again?" Allie urged.

You see, Annabeth and I had been on the rocks for a while. I loved her all the time, of course, but it was difficult. She was super focused on her work and I felt neglected. I also wanted something more, marriage and a family. Annabeth said it was too soon, but we've been together for almost nine years, minus our breaks. I wanted to get married, but Annabeth didn't want to, not yet anyway.

I sighed. "Yeah, I brought up marriage and she freaked out. Then I may have said something along the lines that she would only ever be married to her work and never to me."

Allie set down her drink and placed her hand on top of mine. "Percy, I'm so sorry. I know how you feel about her and this must suck. When did this happen?"

I sucked in a breath not wanting to tell her, but then Allie gave me her look and I had to give in, "The end of last month," I responded.

"It's been a month and you're just now telling me?" Allie said shocked.

This time it was me who gave her a look. "I'm sorry, I just know this time of year is difficult for you. I didn't want to put anything more on your plate."

Allie immediately looked away. Seven years ago, her fiancé died. She never elaborated besides that fact. She told me they were young, only 18 when they got engaged, but she knew he was the one. Ever since he died she's seen people on and off, but no one's ever stuck. She's still in love with her dead fiancé.

Her eyes were misty. "Yeah, uh, thanks." It was my turn to place my hand on hers comforting.

"Any time."

Then the bartender came over. "Would you two lovebirds like anymore?"

"We aren't-" I flustered.

"We aren't a couple," Allie finished. "Just two good friends."

"Sorry, my bad." The bartender blushed. "It's just, you two seemed close and-" Allie held up her hand.

"It's fine, honestly it happens all the time. Most guys and girls can't be friends, we get that. But yeah, we'll have another." She added.

"It's on the house, sorry for the confusion," the bartender quickly rushed away.

Allie was right, it did happen a lot. When we met in college, we almost instantly became friends. She was the only mortal friend I had. We met when she was tutoring science at our college in NYC. Unlike my other tutors, she was patient and helped me understand it through my dyslexia.

It also helped that she didn't fawn over me. I never thought I was that attractive, but in college, a lot of girls threw themselves at me. Of course, I always rejected them, but it was an odd occurrence. Allie never thought of me anything besides a friend. I could always go to her for advice. She had a different perspective than my demigod friends did.

Unfortunately, this was one of the things that caused a rift between Annabeth and me. She hated the fact that I sought advice from another girl. At first, her jealousy was cute. However, as Allie and I grew closer, it grew more toxic. Even through all of this, I never admitted to Allie that Annabeth didn't like her. Allie was smart and asked, but I always lied to her, something I wasn't proud of. Thankfully neither of them pushed and they haven't ever met each other.

Once we finally got our drinks, Allie still had a sad look on her face. "Actually," I began, "I think we are going to need something a little stronger."

The bartender smiled, "I'll be right back."

"Percy, you know I don't drink that much," Allie faltered.

"You don't have to, you're just not in a good mindset right now. I'm sorry I brought up Jake," she flinched at his name. "But I'll try to make it up to you. Drinks are on me tonight."

This perked her up. "Well, if you're paying," and smiled.

The rest of the night was a bit of a blur. Allie and I talked, laughed, danced, and drank most of the night. I hadn't had this much fun in a while. We spent the whole night there. It was right before the last call when we sat down.

Allie let out a loud giggle. "Wow, that was something."

I smiled and handed her a glass of water. Allie got crazy when she was drunk but was always still aware of what was happening. "Here, drink this."

She downed the whole glass. Then, very uncharacteristically blurted out, "I'm super horny right now."

My eyes almost bugged out of my head. "Allison Andrews, what did you just say?"

She rolled her eyes. "I know we don't really ever talk about it, sex. But do you know how long it's been since I've had sex? So, long. And it has to be like a month for you."

I gulped. I wouldn't normally say it, but the alcohol brought it out. "Umm, actually longer," I replied quietly.

"Wait, what?" It was Allie's turn to have her eyes bug out of her head.

"Umm, Annabeth and I were on the rocks long before we broke up," I responded.

That's when I saw Allie's wheels turning in her head. She smiled, "We're good friends, right Perce?"

I nodded confused. "Yes, obviously since you're the only one who can call me that."

"And," she continued, "we trust each other, right?"

"Yeah," I was still confused but then a light bulb went off in my head. "Wait, are you thinking what I think you are?"

"How about you say it?" Allie bit her lip.

Gods, I never really thought of it ever happening. Allie and I were such good friends, and we would never be boyfriend and girlfriend. I loved Annabeth too much and Allie loved Jacob too much. But, what if there weren't any strings attached? It would be much better than either of us going off with a complete stranger. It would be safer. She was right, we trusted each other a lot. Not enough to rope her into my world of gods and monsters, but as close beside that.

"You want to," I gulped my throat felt dry. "To uh," I dropped my voice low. "have sex?"

Allie laughed. "Not if you're scared of it."

I relaxed. "No, it's just uh, won't it make things weird?"

Allie shook her head. "No, it's no strings attached. We can do it how little or often as we want. Once you and Annabeth get back together, we'll stop." She turned serious. "I don't have feeling for you Percy, and you know that." I sighed. "You know," Allie continued. "it's not to pressure you but both of us could go off and find people on our own if you prefer." She pointed to a guy with blonde hair sitting at the bar. "He's been eyeing me all night."

I quickly grabbed her arm. "No, let's go do this."

I honestly don't know what came over me. Maybe I was angry at Annabeth for abandoning me. Maybe I really didn't want Allie to go off with some random guy. Maybe what she said made a lot of sense. I couldn't get attached to anyone, and I wouldn't get attached to Allie.

We went back to my apartment since it was closer. Allie had been there a few times before. My mom wanted to meet my only non-demigod friend and the person who helped me in school. My mom loved Allie and once she got over the awkwardness, Allie loved my mom too. Allie's even babysat Estelle before, and my sister loved Allie.

I opened my door with shaky hands. Once we got inside, Allie placed a hand on my arm. She gave me an encouraging smile.

"Perce, if you don't want to, we don't have to. We can just talk, and I can crash on the couch like we've done before." She smiled, "I'm fine, really."

I turned away from her. I didn't have feelings for Allie, but gods, did I want her right now. I took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. Then I grabbed her hair and kissed her. Allie seemed slightly shocked at first but started to kiss me back.

I pushed her up against a wall and worked my way down to her neck. She started to kick her shoes off but moaned when I hit a soft spot on her neck.

"Gosh, Percy," her body quivered.

This was amazing. _I_ was making her feel this way. I loved Annabeth, but this was new and exciting. Wait, I couldn't think about Annabeth. I was here, with this woman and we wanted each other. We needed each other.

I lifted my lips from her neck for a moment and pulled off her jacket. "Are you okay with this?"

Allie threw her head back and gasped breathlessly. "A gentleman always. But yes, this is perfect."

Then she threw her legs around me and pulled my head to her lips. "Now take me to your room."

I backed up and hit my doorframe. All my senses were overloaded. This was going to be an interesting night.

I woke up the next morning to a warm naked body next to me. It took me a moment to realize that it wasn't the typical person next to me. It wasn't my blonde hair princess, but my brunette-haired friend. Her face was away from mine and she was breathing lightly. Her bare back softly shifted in her sleep.

I still can't believe I did that. What truly shocked me was that I did that, and I didn't feel bad about it. I actually felt good about it. Allie was amazing and gods, I didn't want it to end. I fell back asleep.

I woke up around an hour later and this time Allie was out of bed. She started to put on her dress from the night before. She was putting in on, and all I could think of was slipping it off the night before. She didn't seem to notice me when she oddly started to rub her left forearm. She seemed almost to be tracing something along with it. I cleared my throat and she jumped.

"Uh, hey," Allie turned to me and said softly.

"Hey," I said back.

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear but quickly threw it up into a bun. "So, um, last night was fun."

I nodded in agreement. "Let's do it again sometime," I smirked. I was expecting to get a snarky response back from her, but all she did was blush.

"Yeah, um, so do you remember where I left my shoes?" she asked.

"If I remember correctly, you took them off by the door," I replied coolly.

Wow, this was an interesting dynamic. Normally I was the one not fluent with my words, but this time it was Allie. She was flustered, and it was pretty cute.

"Okay, I'll um, see you soon then, I guess," Allie responded.

I started to sit up, forgetting I was butt naked, "I'll walk you out."

I took the blanket off and Allie quickly turned away, this time really red. "It's okay, I'll just see myself out."

I smirked. "What? You could see this last night, but not now?"

She rolled her eyes and picked up the nearest thing, which happened to be my boxers and threw them at my head. "I don't need to see that now."

"But you liked it," I quickly retorted laying back in bed.

She took a deep breath. I was nervous that I crossed a line, but she responded. "I can't argue with you there. I have a feeling I will see you soon." And with that, she left my room.

I shook my head and stared at the ceiling. My troubles seemed so far from where they were last night. I had been lonely and missing Annabeth. And yes, I was a little upset that Allie had forgotten my birthday. In fact, the only person who talked to me on my birthday were my mom, step-dad, and Estelle. It seemed like everyone else just forgot. I guess turning 25 doesn't matter as much as turning 16 and a prophecy being fulfilled.

I put on my boxers Allie had thrown to me. Last night was a different side to her. She was always great, but she also had a sadness about her. Her fiancé really weighed her down. She really let loose, and I knew it was a good thing for her. I hadn't seen her smile like that in a while. She was my friend, and I wanted to see her happy. It was an added perk that I was the one to make her happy in this sense.

Who knew that at that moment, it was a turning point. Allie nor I knew it, but our causal relationship would change the course of our lives and others lives. We would go to places we never thought and be back to ones we never wanted to revisit. It all began on that one night.

 **This is my brand new story! I have a lot of ideas so I'll try to update often, especially these first few chapters to get the story rolling. Let me know what you think, I'm very excited for the new adventures. Also, if you have read my other stories, none of this is related. Some character names might overlap, but just because I see certain characters with certain names! Please check out my other stories as well. Thank you again!**


	2. Chapter 2

Percy POV

Allie and did not stop our fun, even though it seemed too good to be true. Allie worked as a hospital administrator, and her work was rough. She had to deal with insurance companies and day to day operations of the hospital, not to mention angry patients. Allie had a knack for calming down situations and had a compassion for people. However, after a while it all built up.

I could tell if Allie had a tough day. Maybe someone had yelled at her for something outside of her control or maybe the board wouldn't let her help in need patients. Whatever the case was, I normally got a call. That call would lead us to one of our apartments and hooking up.

I didn't have to run a hospital, but I did have other duties in turn that gave me slight stress. I worked at a local high school as the head swim coach for both the girls' and guys' swim teams, and we were quickly risen to the top of the state. I also helped Chiron run camp half-blood, one of my favorite activities.

I wasn't proud that I was her booty call, but that didn't mean in wasn't amazing. We distracted each other from our day-to-day problems. Mine currently was that Annabeth hadn't had any communication with me, like none at all. She would purposely avoid me at camp even. I hadn't seen her since the end of July when she broke up with me. That was almost four months ago, and it made my heart hurt.

Currently, Allie and I were laying lazily in my bed. It was a Saturday morning and we had woken up from our sex laden sleep. Allie turned over, so she was facing me. The blanket had fallen off and her bare body was laid out for me to see.

"Hey there," I said smiling at her.

She groggily opened her eyes. "Hi," she mumbled.

Allie seemed like she was going to fall back asleep, but I wasn't about to let that happen. I turned over in the covers and started to kiss her midsection, right above her large scar. When I first saw it, I freaked out. Allie explained that it was from a surgery she had when she was younger. However, I have many scars from monsters' attacks and hers was the worst I've seen.

Allie gasped in surprise. "Percy," she moaned. I worked my way down lower until her back arched. She screamed in pleasure.

I stopped once she was panting and smiled. "Do you want something to eat? I can make blue pancakes."

She laughed in return whilst rolling her eyes. "You and your blue pancakes." But then she sighed. "But no, I'm fine. I haven't been eating much in the mornings lately."

I fell back in bed beside her. "Are you sick?"

She shook her head quickly at my concern. "I don't think so. It must just be from the stress of work."

"Well then," I brought my body closer to hers. "Then let's loosen up some of that stress."

We were just getting started when my phone rang. "Sorry," I quickly told Allie. "I'll turn it off."

She shook her head. "Percy, it's fine. Just answer it. I should probably get going anyway."

I reached my arm over to my nightstand and quickly sat up in bed when I saw who it was. Allie noticed my surprise. "Who is it?" she questioned.

"Annabeth," I said calmly. Why was Annabeth calling me? Leo had made us phones that we could use which was nice, but she almost never used it.

"Answer it!" Allie hit me quickly.

"Okay, okay, calm down woman." I answered the phone while sitting on the side of my bed. "Hello?"

"Percy?" Once Annabeth said my name, my shoulders melted. She sounded so broken and like she had been crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked with true sincerity.

"Gods, I'm so stupid." She cried out. "I thought I could be strong. I thought that I could do this on my own. Seaweed brain," my heart ached at my nickname, "we've know each other since we were twelve. Twelve! I wanted to prove to myself I could be on my own, that I didn't need you. But I do. I need and want you so much."

"Annabeth," my voice trailed off.

"Percy, I know how much I hurt you. I can't ever take that pain away. But gods, I love you so much. I just," she sniffed. "I need you back."

There wasn't a doubt in my mind. "Where are you?" I asked, wanting to hold her in my arms as soon as I could.

"My apartment," she responded.

"I'll be there in 30 minutes," I quickly hung up.

I was breathless. I almost forgot that Allie was there in my bed. I turned around and she sat with wide eyes and biting her fingernails.

"She wants you back?" Allie asked excitedly.

"Um, yeah, I guess," I stammered out. Then I sighed. "You know, if we get back together, I can't do this anymore."

"Gosh," Allie rolled her eyes. "I knew this would be over once we started. I'm not mad, honestly Perce. You love Annabeth so much; you guys are one of my favorite couples. You just need to stay together longer next time."

I smiled at my friend. "No hard feelings?" I held out my hand.

Allie laughed. "No," and shook it.

"So, I'm just, uh, I'm just going to go." I stammered again.

"I'll be gone when you get back." Allie smiled.

And with that, I rushed out the door.

It ended up taking me exactly 35 minutes to get out the door and to Annabeth's apartment. Gods, I hope she would be fine that I was late. She hated my tardiness. But hey, I didn't have much notice.

I knocked on her door. Gods, I haven't seen her in a long time, but I'm sure she'll be just as beautiful as before. Oh gods, I missed her curly blonde hair and her stormy grey eyes and-; the door opened.

Annabeth stood there looking broken. Her blonde hair was hanging down. She was wearing one of my college sweatshirts that hung off of her frame. Her cheeks were puffy was crying.

She spoke, "Percy," but she didn't get very far.

I stepped into her apartment and took her into my arms. She quickly sobbed into my shirt. I kissed her head and rubbed her back. I hated to see her hurt, but all I could focus on was that she was in my arms again, finally.

It took her a few minutes to regain herself when she finally stepped back. Her eyes were puffier than before, but she looked like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Was she concerned if I would actually come or not?

She pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Can, we, uh, sit down?" All I could do was nod in response and follow her to the couch.

"So," the silence was awkward. We normally didn't need to say anything, silence was comfortable. Unfortunately, that had been four months ago, a lot had changed since then.

"I," Annabeth broke the silence. She huffed. "I'm sorry," she blurted out. "I was wrong."

I scrunched my eyebrow. "Wait, did I just hear that right? _The_ Annabeth Chase said she was wrong?"

She rolled her grey eyes. "Gods, Percy, yes! I was wrong. I shouldn't have broken up with you. I love you and I was just," she sighed. "I was just scared."

"Scared of what?" I questioned.

"Of the future," she elaborated. "Of us. I love you, but everyone always leaves me anytime anything feels permanent."

I quickly reach over and grab her hands. I stared into her soul. "I will never leave you."

She smiled softly. "I know, _I've_ been the one pushing you back. And these last few months I've been thinking of our future together." She smiled. "Living together, getting married, having kids," I started to blush at that last thought. "If you want to get married," but I squeezed her hand to stop her thoughts.

"I love you Annabeth, but I think we need to work some things out before marriage. I _want_ to marry you. But we've been apart for so long," I trailed off.

Annabeth nodded in agreement. "I agree, but," she handed me a small box. "I want us to take another step together." I cautiously opened the box. Inside, there was a small key. "Percy Jackson, will you move in with me?"

I had a huge grin on my face. "Yes!" I leaned forward and gave her a big kiss. I was content.

Later that day I called Allie to tell her the good news. She shrieked into the phone.

"Oh my gosh yes!" She exclaimed, and I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

"Gosh, calm down." I laughed. "I'm heading back to my apartment later. I don't have much to pack up, so I should be out by tomorrow."

"Perce, I'm so happy for you." And she indeed did sound happy. Then she sighed. "Are you, uh, going to tell her about us?"

My stomach lurched a bit. It was something I was regretting telling Annabeth. Telling her that for the last few months instead of not being with anyone, I've been hooking up with my best friend.

"I feel like I have to." I sighed into the phone.

"You two need to be honest with each other. It's a smart move." Allie sighed again.

"Is something else wrong? You aren't mad that our little arrangement is done, are you?" I asked slightly concerned.

"No!" Allie quickly retorted. "It's just, are you feeling okay?"

I raised an eyebrow confused. "Yeah, why? Are you not?"

"I just got sick this morning. It's probably nothing. Chinese food doesn't always agree with me and there's a stomach bug going around at work. I'm just going to check something out, but I'm sure it's nothing." Allie trailed off.

"I hope you feel better soon." I said.

"Thanks, but go enjoy this time with your girlfriend. Bye Perce!"

"Bye Allie," I hung up on her.

I turned around and there Annabeth was, wearing nothing. My breath caught in my throat. I couldn't make out words.

"Who was that?" She asked seductively.

"Uh," I struggled to make out words. "It was just Allie."

Annabeth got a disgusted look. "Oh," then she smiled smugly. "You aren't thinking of her right now, are you?"

"Gods no," I said.

"Do you want to come into my room?" She bit her lip.

I rushed forward, and I made love with the woman I loved for the first time in months.

After our little fun, Annabeth came over to help me move out of my apartment. Again, there really wasn't much there. Mostly just clothes and little relics. Before we broke up, I was practically already moved into Annabeth's apartment anyway. We just had to finish up.

Once we got back, I knew I would have to tell her. I would have to tell her about Allie. About how it didn't mean anything, but I had been having sex with someone who wasn't her.

We placed the last box down in her, scratch that our, apartment. I smiled. "Hey, we need to talk."

Annabeth's eyes got wide. "Uh-oh, that normally doesn't mean anything good," but she followed me back to the couch.

"So, we are honest with each other, right?" I asked.

"Yes?" She questioned.

"And you want me to be honest with you, entirely honest? Even if it wasn't the best decision."

"Percy, your scaring me," Annabeth was shaking slightly.

I stared at my hands in my lap. "I was with someone else we when were broken up."

"Oh," Annabeth's voice got soft. "Was she, was she better than me?"

My eyes got wide. "It wasn't like that. We just both wanted to be with someone, and it was easier to be with each other than with complete strangers."

Then Annabeth's eyes got stormy; her wheels were turning in her head. Uh-oh, I shouldn't have said it like that. "And when you mean you knew her, she was?"

I gulped. I replied softly. "Allie."

"Who?" she asked again.

"It was Allie." I said louder this time.

Annabeth stood up. "Seriously? Your mortal friend? I knew she would try to get with you! She was just waiting for the perfect opportunity!"

I stood up with her. "Annabeth, it wasn't like that. She's not," I sighed. "She's not like that. She's been hurt by love, but this wasn't love."

"You need to stop being friends with her." Annabeth immediately responded.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Her or me, you choose." She crossed her arms sternly.

"You can't possibly be serious."

"What if it was me and Todd from work? Would you want me hanging out with him every day knowing he's seen me naked?"

This immediately shut me up. "But Annabeth, she's my friend."

"I don't care Percy," she sighed. "I'm sorry, I know this is harsh, but I can't imagine you seeing her every day." Her voice got quiet.

Gods, Annabeth looked so broken. I had betrayed her trust, and with someone she had always been afraid I would break her trust with. I loved Allie, but I loved Annabeth more.

"What do you want me to do?" I sighed.

Annabeth's eyes gleaned. "Just call her and say you can't be friends anymore. Block her number and don't go to the places you went to before together."

I nodded. "Okay," I leaned forward and kissed Annabeth's head. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"It's fine," she started to exit the room. "Just please, I want to move past this."

I dialed Allie's number. She picked up almost immediately which was odd. Normally Allie hated answering the phone. "Hey Allie," I said with a solemn tone.

"I was just about to call you," Allie responded. Her voice sounded like she had been crying. I wanted to ask her if she was okay, but I knew I needed to end this quickly if I would be able to end this at all.

"We need to stop being friends," I stated calmly.

"What?" Allie replied shocked.

"I told Annabeth about us," I sighed. "She didn't' take it well, but I can't blame her. I can't see you anymore. Not for friends, not for anything."

Allie immediately interjected. "Percy, this is ridiculous. I need to talk to you right now. Please, let's find somewhere to meet. I need to talk to you," she repeated and pleaded.

"I'm going to block and delete your number and I already moved out of my apartment. I'm sorry it had to end like this, you've been a really good friend." I removed the phone from my ear.

I heard her yell. "Perseus Jackson, don't you-" but I already hung up.

Right after, so I wouldn't chicken out, I blocked her number. In the midst, she tried to call me, but I just hung up. Once it was done I threw my phone down and sighed. I could feel my eyes getting misty.

Annabeth walked slowly back into the room. "Hey," she replied softly. She came and sat down next to me. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head. "No, that was one of the cruelest things I've ever done, but it had to be done."

Annabeth started to feel me up. "Do you, do you want to come to my room?"

I sighed. "Yes, but just to sleep. I want to be next to the person who I gave up one of my best friends for. To remind me what I did that for."

Annabeth immediately got quiet but lead me to our room. That was the last I thought I would ever hear from Allison Andrews, but boy, was I ever wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

Annabeth POV  
It had been six months since Percy and I got back together. Those six months had been some of the best of my life. I can't believe that I ever wanted to be away from Percy. Yes, we had been together for a long time but no, I didn't need to be without him. He only made me stronger, and I was beginning to learn that.

We were both wrapping things up with our jobs. I was putting the final touches on my latest building. Percy was finishing up his coaching for the summer. Then we would be on our way to camp half-blood for the summer.

I walked into our living room after packing up my bags. There Percy sat on the couch with a solemn look on his face. He was staring at his phone. I only got a glimpse, but it was him laughing with a girl with brunette hair.

"Hey," I said announcing my presence in the room.

Percy jumped slightly but smiled when he saw me. "Hey Wise Girl, what's up?"

I shrugged. "Nothing, but I'm about to head to the office to finish up." I walked over and gave him a kiss. "Then we get to spend the whole summer at camp."

Percy wrapped his arms around me. "But don't forget, my mom and Estelle are coming over to dinner tonight."

"You're cooking, right?" I smiled softly at my boyfriend. He was a way better cook than me.

"Of course," and he gave me another peck. "I'll walk down with you, I need to speak with the team before I leave. You know, said them on the right track for summer."

I gave him a salute. "Of course, Coach Jackson." He rolled his eyes but followed me down.

Once we got to the lobby, we headed our separate ways. But not without another quick peck from Percy. Gods, I loved that man.

I threw on my headphones and made the walk to my work. It wasn't too far from my apartment and it was a nice day, so I choose to walk. My headphones were turned up, so I didn't instantly hear the screams all around me. I took them off when I started to see people run in the other direction.

"Oh, my gods," I said aloud.

There were two creatures terrorizing the streets. One was a gorgon the other a cyclops. I had battled each of them apart before, but just not by myself and not both of them together. I debated on trying to call Percy, but then someone ran into me and smashed my phone. I didn't have any drachma on me either to iris message, so it would have to be just me.

I took out my dagger and started to approach the monsters. That's when I realized they weren't just out terrorizing everyone, but one specific person. They had backed her into a wall. She looked to be around my age but had one major difference. Her stomach was protruding, she was clearly pregnant.

"The child," the gorgon hissed.

Was this woman pregnant with a demigod? I had never seen her around camp, but the monsters seemed interested in her. It was unlikely she was a demigod. Well, rather they were interested in her stomach and unborn child.

The monsters were distracted. I went up behind the gorgon and quickly killed her. The brown-haired girl jumped back in surprise. It wasn't every day you saw a monster burst into gold dust. With his partner in shambles, the cyclops turned around and saw me.

"You," his voice was dark and angry. This was the type of cyclops I had been afraid of. That was until I met Percy's half-brother, and he was one of the kindest people I had ever met.

The monster charged at me, but it didn't really stand a chance. Now that it was only him, I quickly took him out with my dagger. I took a deep breath and looked back at the woman.

The woman had brown hair and blue eyes and was of slightly taller than average height. She stood with her back against the wall and both of her hands resting on her stomach. She must be so shaken up.

"Are you okay?" I asked walking over to the woman.

She gave me a slight nod. "Yeah, I think so. They only got close, but not close enough to hurt me."

I gulped. How would I approach the question of asking if she was a demigod or pregnant with one? Most parents had no idea that their fling was with a god, and this girl may have been no different.

I stuck out my hand. "I'm Annabeth."

Something glistened in her eyes, but it quickly passed over. I may have even imagined it. "I'm," she swallowed. "I'm Allison," and she shook my hand.

"Okay, Allison, do you want to come over to my apartment? It's not that far. You'll be safe, and I can try to explain what just happened."

All she did was nodded. Again, this had to be a shock for her. We walked back in silence. When we finally got back to my apartment, I rushed her inside. It wasn't much, but we were shaded from monsters there, a new demigod trick. I could at least tell her she was safe.

However, once we got inside Allison went straight over to some of the pictures on our mantel. She picked one up of Percy and me.

"That's my boyfriend and me," I began trying to make some connection with her. "His name is Percy and-" she grabbed her mouth.

"Where's your bathroom?" she asked quickly.

"Down the hall," I barely got out the words when she was down there throwing up. Gods, this had to be so confusing for her.

After a few minutes, she came out. She looked a little paler, but nevertheless not worse. She also had a sad look on her face.

"Come sit down, I think I need to explain some things," I began, and she sat down without a word. "So, um, if I were to ask you who your parents are, you could tell me?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, Steve and Debra. Why?"

So, she was mortal, which made sense. I didn't get the demigod vibe from her. I swallowed again. "And you know who the father of your child is?"

She instinctively grabbed her abdomen. "Yes," she replied softly.

"Did he happen to leave after he found out you were pregnant?" I asked, trying to decipher the situation.

Allison looked away. "No, he got back together with his girlfriend before I even knew."

"And you're sure that he wasn't, uh, anything more than human?"

Allison gave me a look. "I'm sure, but I'm suspecting you're not."

"How did you?" but then I sighed. "Never mind, but yes. I'm a demigod. Half-god, half-human." I scanned Allison's face, but she seemed to be taking it all pretty well. "My dad's mortal, but my mom's the goddess Athena." This seemed to throw her back a little.

"Athena?" she questioned.

I nodded. "Yeah, she's the Greek goddess of wisdom."

Allison itched her left forearm. "But isn't that like Minerva? And she doesn't have any kids, she's a virgin goddess."

"Well, the Roman version doesn't, but the Greek does. There's two separate entities, but they are similar."

"And your boyfriend," she trailed off.

"He's a demigod as well. His dad is Poseidon, but if you are keeping track of it in Roman terms, Neptune." She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Oh, my gods," she muttered.

This peaked my interest. "Did you just say?" but then the doorbell rang. I jumped. "I'm so sorry, I totally forgot. My boyfriend's mom and sister are coming over. That must be them. I'll just uh, go get the door."

I opened the door and there stood one of the most amazing women in the entire world. Sally Jackson stood smiling. Next to her stood Estelle who was 8 years old, and she was a very smart 8-year-old.

"Annabeth," Sally immediately took me into a hug. "How are you sweetie? Are you okay?" She asked and took a step back.

I nodded. "There was just an incident when I was heading to work."

Sally nodded in understanding. See, we hadn't told Estelle of the whole demigod, god, and monsters situation yet. It wasn't her world, and we didn't want to bring her in at such a young age.

"I see," Sally said.

"Yeah, and um, the situation was a little complicated. I may have picked up someone along the way," I started to whisper. "There was a pregnant woman the monsters were attacking. I'm trying to figure out what her or her unborn child's connection are to the demigod world. She's seems nice," I finished.

"Okay, let's head in. Percy called me saying he was running late but would be here in a few minutes." Sally added.

Once we got inside, I got an even bigger surprise. Instead of introducing Sally to Allison, Estelle ran right over to her.

"Allie!" She exclaimed. Estelle reached over and gave Allison a big hug. Allison returned the favor.

"Hey sweetie, how's it going?" Allie asked with a shaking smile.

"I'm good," Estelle smiled, then frowned. "But how come you haven't come babysat in a while?" she questioned innocently.

"Well," Allison, or I guess Allie, swallowed. "You see this?" she rubbed her belly and Estelle nodded. "There's a baby in here, and I've been taking care of this baby, so I haven't been able to take care of you."

Apparently, this made perfect sense to an 8-year-old. "Oh, okay."

Before Estelle had a chance to say anything more, Sally interrupted. "Allie, how nice it is to see you!"

"You too, Mrs. Jackson," Allison started to stand up and gave Sally a hug.

Once they broke apart, Sally placed a hand on Allie's stomach. "Congratulations, by the way. Percy never told me you had been seeing anyone, much less that you are having a child."

Allie gulped. "Um, well Percy and I haven't been talking, so he actually doesn't know. And um, it was just a short fling, nothing serious so when it was happening I'm sure Percy didn't mention it."

"How far along are you?" Sally asked.

"I'm a little over seven months," Allie responded with a smile.

But that's when it hit me. This was the Allie, Percy's friend Allie, the mortal one. The one that Estelle and Sally knew. The one I told him to stop being friends with because they slept together. They stopped sleeping together around six months ago.

"Oh, my gods," I busted out, realization coming over me.

Allie noticed that I knew. Oh gods, did I know. She stepped away from Sally and had her hands out. "Annabeth, calm down."

"The baby, the dad, it's," I was stammering.

"Annabeth," she repeated. "Stop. He doesn't know."

"Percy," but I couldn't say it. All Allie did was nodded.

Just then the door opened. "Annabeth, mom, Estelle, I'm home." Allie's face turned white. "Where's everyone?" then Percy walked in. His face was bright and smiling. "What, Allie?" His face was confused by her presence.

Allie swallowed. "Hey Perce," she waved at him lifting one hand off her protruding stomach. Percy's eyes went wide when he saw it.

"You're, you're," he couldn't get the words out.

I shouldn't have, but I added in. "She's seven months along." Percy gave me a dumbfounded look. "Seven months, Percy" I crossed my arms.

Sally was clued in before Percy even was, and she didn't know the whole situation. "Estelle, why don't you go watch cartoons in the guest room?" Estelle looked like was about to protest but understanding her mother's forcible tone left.

The wheels in Percy's head started turning once Estelle left. His eyebrows arched then a shock came over his face. Gods, the shock that set in, I couldn't even describe it. The life-changing shock. I looked over at Allie and saw the tear streaming down her face.

"It's not, is it," Percy paused, "mine?"

Allie slowly nodded. "I tried to tell you, when you called me on the phone. I had just taken the test and, I didn't know what to say."

Percy's hand reached up to his mouth and he just sat down, unable to speak. We stayed there in silence for a while until Allie finally broke it.

"I should, I should go," she started to walk towards the door, but Sally caught her arm.

"You aren't going anywhere by yourself with my grandchild in there. Not when you were just attacked," Sally responded sternly but ended by placing her hand on Allie's stomach once again.

That was the first time any of us had said it. Allie was pregnant with Percy's child. She had his child in her.

"Mrs. Jackson," Allie trailed off but placed her hand on top of Sally's in return.

"Was that?" Sally asked in wonder.

"Yeah, he just kicked," Allie smiled.

"He?" Percy looked up. We all turned our heads towards him. That was the first moment he had said anything. "The baby's, a boy?"

Allie nodded in response. "Yeah, I wasn't going to find out, but I could sick of calling him just 'the baby' so I found out about a month ago." Percy just nodded. He didn't seem to fully grasp the concept yet, although he did know. "Do you want to see a picture? I have the latest sonogram in my purse."

Again, all Percy did was nod. Allie was treating him very gingerly, which seemed necessary in this moment. Allie took the picture out of her purse and sat down next to Percy on the couch. He took it carefully and stared at it.

"It's my," Allie paused and sighed to correct herself. "It's _our_ baby, Percy." She placed her hand over her stomach again. "You're going to be a father."

My heart ached at the scene before me. Sally was in the corner, crying up a storm. Percy was still in awe. And all I could think about how that should be me. That should be me sitting next to Percy. I should be the one telling him that I'm having his child. But it was her.

Still, there was tension in the air. Percy sat with his mouth slightly agape. He hadn't really moved from touching the picture.

Allie continued. "He's going to be a little legacy."

That made me stop. "Wait, what did you just say?"

"A legacy," Allie repeated, this time with more confidence. "A child of godly descent, but not directly a half-blood."

"What are you talking about, how do you know this? I thought you said you were a mortal?" I said, almost attacking her.

She sighed. "Can we just get to camp? I know we'll be safe there, and we can talk without fear of being attacked. It's going to be a long trip."

I raised an eyebrow. "Not that long, we only have to go to long island to get to camp half-blood." Finally, I had taken Allie by surprise.

"What about Camp Jupiter? It's in California." She suggested, but then sighed. "Right sorry, I forgot the whole Greek camp thing too."

"How do you know about that?" Percy came out of his daze.

Allie looked around and sighed. She then muttered "auxilium", which meant "reveal" in Latin while running her hand over her forearm. Then, the SPQR tattoo shown on her forearm. Percy and I gasped together.

"I thought you were mortal?" I asked.

"I am," Allie responded.

"Then how?" Percy questioned. He shifted his arm over to reveal his tattoo as well.

"Has that been here the whole time?" Allie laughed. "Sorry, the mist has been heavily shielding my eyes. I never noticed it before. But I thought you said you were Greek?"

"Again, I thought you were mortal?" I asked with more sternness this time. "How do you know so much?"

"I am mortal", Allie reiterated. "But my fiancé Jake wasn't."


	4. Chapter 4

Percy POV

Allie said she would explain everything once we got to camp, and we agreed to the same. We went to her apartment quick to pick up some of her stuff, but we didn't want to stay long. Allie mentioned she knew how ruthless monsters could be, especially when they are hunting for someone. This time instead of touching her stomach though, she touched a spot right above it. Her scar. Had a monster caused that scar?

Annabeth was brining Estelle back home, so it was just Allie, my mom and me. My mom said she how hard it could be to pack, and we didn't know how long Allie would have to be at camp. Maybe until the baby was born, so we had to bring everything.

"Most everything for the baby are in the nursey," Allie remarked once we got into her apartment.

She led us to where her office used to be and opened the door. My heart ached when I saw the nursey for her baby, I mean our baby. The walls were a lightly blue-grey all around. Most of the furniture, including the rocking chair, changing table, and crib were a stark white. All the decorations were a mix between blue, white, and grey and featured elephants.

"It's beautiful," my mom commented.

Allie rubbed her belly. "Thank you, Mrs. Jackson," and then Allie jumped a little and continued rubbing her stomach.

"Are you okay sweetie?" My mom asked.

Allie smiled. "Yeah, I think he can tell that this is his room because he moves anytime I'm in here."

Sally smiled in return. "Percy was the same way. Anytime I got near his crib, he would kick up a storm." My mom coughed. "Anyways, we can get this, the stuff for the baby. Go and pack your own things."

"Mrs. Jackson, I can help" began Allie, but my mom cut her off.

"You go take care of yourself right now, I insist," Allie nodded and started to walk out the doorway. "And dear," she stopped and turned to my mother. "Like I've said many times before and now especially now that you're carrying my grandchild, call me Sally."

"Thank you, Sally," Allie smiled out and left.

Once Allie left and shut the door, my mom turned towards me with arms opened wide. "Come here," and I embraced my mother.

We hugged silently for a few moments and then I spoke, "Mom, I messed up. Like I messed up big time." My mom pulled away but stayed silent. "She's having a kid, _my_ kid and I, I don't know what to do."

My mom arched her eyebrow. "What do you mean you don't know what to do?"

"Like," I sighed. "How are we going to do this? Allie's amazing but I don't have feelings for her. Most people get married when they have a kid. But I love Annabeth, I can't do that."

"Do you think Allie would let you do that?" Sally asked.

I shook my head. "No, but, mom, I'm going to have a kid. I'm going to be a dad, and" I choked out, "I don't know if I'm ready for that."

"Do you think Allie's ready for that?" Sally inquired.

I gestured around the room. "Well, yeah. She's so put together, she has everything under control. She's ready and I'm not."

"Percy," my mom added sternly. "You know, when I was pregnant with you, I was so unprepared." She smiled. "Poseidon had just left, and I found out you were growing in my belly. Before you came, I tried to prove to everyone that I could do this. I had to prove that I could be a single mother. I wasn't ready, but that didn't mean that I didn't love you."

"I do," I felt tears growing in my eyes. "I do love him. When I saw that sonogram," I trailed off not knowing what to say.

Sally smiled and rubbed my head. "As much as she seems it Percy, Allie is just an unprepared as you. She's just had more time to accept it. Has it ever occurred to you that Allie was planning on doing this alone? The fact she knew you were out there somewhere but couldn't find you. How terrifying do you think this is for her? Dipping into her savings, taking time off work, telling her family about the baby but no father to show for it?"

I gulped. "I want to be there for her and the baby, she's the mother of my child. I want to protect them both."

Sally nodded and finished up grabbing supplies. "Then tell her that, once we get to camp you two need to have a long talk."

I nodded and followed my mother out the door. We headed over to the next room and found Allie sitting on her bed, holding a picture and crying. I softly knocked on the door and Allie looked up. She immediately began to wipe her tears away and put on a brave face.

"I'm so sorry, I was just-" she began but I was already sitting on the bed next to her.

I looked over at the picture. It was her with the biggest smile I've ever seen her have. She looked younger, probably around 17 or 18. Next to her was a blonde-haired man, but he wasn't looking at the camera like she was. He was looking at her in the deepest love.

"Is that?" I started.

"Jacob," Allie laughed and cried out at the same time. "This was at Camp Jupiter, right after we got engaged. I haven't been back there since he," she gulped. "Since he died." She laughed sadly. "We went back there for a funeral of one of the Praetors from when I was there, Jason, and then it was Jacob only a few weeks later."

"You knew Jason?" I asked quizzically.

She nodded. "Yes, of course. Did you?"

I smiled. "Yeah, he was one of the seven, as was I, to defeat Gaea."

She nodded. "Right, I heard a little about that. Jake and I left after the battle on Mount Orthys," she trailed off seeming to remember something unpleasant, so she changed the subject. "Is Camp Half-blood like camp Jupiter?"

"Similar," I began. "But different. You'll see when we get there."

My mom popped her head back in the door. "Annabeth's just called, she's parked outside. Sweetie, do you have all your stuff?" Allie nodded. "Okay, let's head down."

Allie started to grab her packed bag, but I immediately grabbed it from her. "Percy, I can carry my own bag."

I shook my head. "I'm sure you can, but you aren't going to." She looked like she was going to protest, but gave in.

We walked down to the floor level where Annabeth was waiting with the car. I threw Allie's bag and the baby bag in the back with Annabeth and my stuff. I turned around and saw my mom give Allie a big hug.

"If you need anything, anything at all, call me," my mom said, and Allie smiled. "But I'm sure Percy will take good care of you." My mom started to tear up. "And called me right when the baby comes. Or, in fact call me as the baby is coming."

Allie nodded. "Thank you, Sally. Thanks for everything."

I opened the front door of the car for Allie. She gave me the _I can do it myself but still thanks_ look and shimmied inside. I then opened the driver's side door. Annabeth gave me a look.

"I can drive," I tell her.

"Percy, really, I-" but I stopped her.

"Annabeth, I love you but you're a horrible driver. Plus, I want to make sure," I glanced over at Allie's baby bump in the seat over. Annabeth sighed and got the hint.

She stepped out. For a moment I thought she was going to strangle me. Then, she did the opposite. She placed her hand on my arm and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. Nothing too passionate or romantic, but reassuring.

Annabeth leaned into my ear. "You're going to make a great dad," and stepped into the back seat.

I quickly sat down in the car and began to drive. The car ride was unbearable. Annabeth sat in the back seat, probably having a thousand thoughts running through her mind. Allie was staring out her window drawing shapes on her stomach. And I was grabbing the wheel, my knuckles white. I was praying to the gods that we would make it their all right. The woman I loved was in the back and the mother of my child with my unborn child in the seat next to me. This was the most stressful drive ever.

Finally, we made it to camp. In the years since I started, we had acquired a parking lot right outside the camp boundaries. A very helpful addition if you ask me. I parked and let out a sigh of relief. We made it with no troubles. Whatever was attacking Allie hadn't followed us. Well, at least not followed us fast enough.

I got out of the car and before I could open the doors for any of the other women they got out themselves. I quickly went to the trunk. I opened and pulled out the suitcases. I grabbed Allie's and mine. Much to my surprise, Annabeth grabbed hers and the baby bag.

Allie started to object. "I can grab something," and held her hands out open.

"No," Annabeth and I responded simultaneously. Allie crossed her arms but obliged.

Once we got inside Allie immediately started to ask questions. "What cohorts are you in?"

Annabeth laughed. "We aren't divided in cohorts, rather placed in cabin by patronage."

Allie scrunched her nose. "Wait, what? What about people who don't have a lot of siblings? Are they just by themselves? Is nothing even?"

I nodded. "Yeah, so I'm in the Poseidon cabin and Annabeth's in the Athena cabin. I'm the only camper in my cabin, so I get it to myself."

"Where will I stay?" Allie asked.

Just then, Chiron jotted up. He was in his centaur state and standing tall. "Annabeth, Percy, nice to see you. And ah, you must be Miss Andrews." Chiron stuck out his hand and Allie shook it gingerly. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. The gods' have already made a place for you to stay. Apollo offered his cabin of course, but Hera, or as you know her Juno, offered her cabin instead. She doesn't have any children and she added amenities for you."

Allie smiled. "Thank you, Chiron."

"I'll be off now, it seems you all have much to discuss." Chiron quickly glanced at Allie's protruding stomach and rushed off. Did the gods tell him of our predicament?

"Why would Apollo offer up his cabin?" Annabeth asked as we headed to drop our stuff off.

Allie blushed. "I was engaged to one of his sons. As much as Jake wasn't to fond of his father, Apollo took a liking to me."

Annabeth looked like she was going to ask another question but dropped the subject. We dropped off our bags in our respective cabins. We stepped outside after dropping off Allie's bags in a decked-out Hera cabin. She really did go all out for her.

"Percy, do you know of a place we can talk, alone?" Allie asked.

I bit my lip. We did have a lot to discuss. "Yeah, by the lake. We can head there now." I turned to Annabeth. "Are you going to be okay?" I asked her.

She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes, Percy, I'm a big girl. I'll be fine."

Annabeth walked with us since we would be passing the Athena cabin. However, one our way we ran into some old friends.

"Percy, Annabeth," Piper exclaimed. She gave Annabeth a quick hug then me as well.

Annabeth swallowed. "Piper, how are you?"

She smiled. "I'm fine, but I'm so glad to be at camp again. Teaching can be a lot of work."

Standing next to her was Reyna. "Nice to see you both again and, Allie?" she asked.

Allie was standing behind us awkwardly. She had tried to remove herself from the situation, but it hadn't worked. She stepped forward. "Hi Reyna."

"Wow, you look, you're," Reyna didn't know how to respond. "I haven't seen you since," Reyna paused.

Allie blinked back tears but tried to keep a smile on her face. "I know, I tried to keep away. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, and I see that now."

Piper seemed slightly confused by the whole arrangement. She stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Piper Mclean."

"I'm Allie Andrews," she shook her hand. Then Allie's eyes misted again. "Wait, are you the Piper who spook at Jason's funeral?"

Piper looked surprised. "Yeah, were you there? Are you Roman? Sorry, I just haven't seen you before."

Allie shook her head. "I'm not, I'm 100% mortal. My fiancé was Roman, and I got roped into the life. Jason was a good friend."

Piper smiled and nodded but Reyna still looked stunned. "Are, are you seeing anyone again? After," she trailed off.

Allie instinctively grabbed her stomach. "No, not really."

"Can I ask who the father is then?" Reyna continued.

Piper hit her. "You can't just ask that!"

"I'm sorry it's just," Allie stopped her.

"It's just after my fiancé died, I never thought I would be with anyone again, no one did." Allie sighed. "The father, he's amazing but it was just a fling. No feelings, it just turned into this." Allie gestured at her stomach.

She was really protecting me. She hadn't even implied that the father was me. But I felt a sort of sense of pride in my child. I didn't want to back away.

"It's me," I said, and everyone looked at me stunned. Well, everyone besides Annabeth.

"What?" Piper asked again even though I knew she heard me the first time.

"It's me," I repeated. "The baby's father. I'm the baby's father."

"Wait, what?" Reyna asked again.

"Allie's having Percy's baby," Annabeth pushed. "And he just found out, so they are going to talk about it." Annabeth raised her eyebrow towards me. "We can, go talk by ourselves."

Reyna and Piper nodded slowly. We started to separate but Reyna ran and gave Allie a hug. "Congratulations. We'll need to catch up once you guys get settled. I'm sure there' others from camp Jupiter who would love to see you."

"Thanks Reyna, again, I'm sorry after Jacob," Allie sniffed.

"No need to apologize. All that matters is that you're okay here and now." Reyna smiled. "We will talk later. Bye." And see went to follow Annabeth and Piper.

I lead Allie to the lake on the beach. We sat by a boulder. I started to sit down. "Oh, uh wait, do you need help?" I asked Allie.

She rolled her eyes. "Gods, Perce, no. I've been doing this sometime on my own now."

I knew she didn't mean it, but that hurt. She had been doing it on her own for a while. "I'm, I'm sorry for that." I stammered out.

"Percy," she grabbed my hands. "I'm not mad. This," she touched her belly. "He's a gift. I never thought I would have a family, and now I'm having a baby."

I tried to stay strong, but my head fell into my hands. "Allie, how are we going to do this?"

She leaned back against the rock and shrugged. "However, it will work out."

"How can you be so calm about all this?" I asked her in awe.

Again, she shrugged. "Percy, I love this baby so much. No, I didn't think you would ever be in the picture, but it's just another obstacle to work out. I love him so much and I can see you do too." She sighed. "We can work out everything when it happens. I just want to enjoy this right now."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Miss always planning Andrews just wants to see how things play out?"

She laughed. "Yes, for once in my life. Everything that been being thrown at me these last few months, and I just need to take what the gods keep throwing at me."

I shook my head in amazement. "You're truly amazing, Allie Andrews."

She smiled but then turned serious. "What's your story Percy?"

I shifted back in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You're," she sighed. "You're a child of one of the three main gods. You were one of the seven, you fought in the titan war."

"It's uh, it's a long story." I sighed. "Basically, I've been front and center of prophecies. The prophecy of the 16-year-old." Allie nodded in understanding. "That was me." She opened her mouth to speak but shut it and let me talk. "I've been on countless quests, fought gods, titans and giants. I've," I choked out. "I've been to Tartarus, with Annabeth." Allie's eyes went wide. "Yeah, not a time I like to talk about. I've done everything there is to do. From what I've heard, I was like the Jason of Camp Half-Blood."

Allie nodded. "Wow, Perce, that's, just wow."

"And what about you?" I asked.

"What about me?" Allie questioned.

"What's your story?" I continued. "A pure mortal in the Roman camp. How'd you get there? How'd you stay? How'd a mortal get the tattoo?"

She instinctively grabbed her arm. Then she sighed. "I guess I should tell you my story."

 **I hope you all enjoyed! I'm trying to update more and get this story rolling. I have a strong direction for where I want this to go and I love my readers. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Allie POV  
 _Fourteen Years Ago_

"Jake, where are you taking me?" I asked my friend.

"I told you, where I live!" He smiled excitedly.

"You live, on the side of the highway?" I questioned. "Jake, if you need a place to stay, I'm sure my parents would be fine if-" but he cut me off.

"No, Allie. I live behind the highway." I just gave him a confused stare again. "Just come on," he stated.

I followed him down the side to an entrance tunnel. Standing there were two people with bats?

"We have to be very quiet here, or else they will attack us." Jake said.

"With bats?" I questioned. Everything was a little blurry. I couldn't quite see right anywhere.

"Oh, I forgot right the mist." He pointed to the people. "What if I told you they were carrying spears and swords? And that they were wearing roman armor?"

"I would say you are crazy," I said.

"Just look really closely and try to picture it." Jake insisted.

I gave my friend a concerned look, but I did as he said. I stared carefully at the people. Slowly, silver and gold armor started to appear on their bodies. Finally, I could make out a spear on the right guard and a sword on the left guard.

"They're, they, what?" I was so confused.

Jacob just had an insanely happy smile on his face. "Come on, let's go."

 _Three Months Later_

"Jason, really, it's not that big of a deal," Jacob argued.

I was sitting on the outskirts of Camp Jupiter listening to Jacob and Jason argue.

Jason pointed to me. "She's a mortal. A mortal! Why did you think you could bring her in here?"

Jacob shifted. "She's my friend and I wanted her to know. She doesn't treat me any different, not like you guys do."

I didn't know it at the time, but Jacob had something special about him. Something that was special even for a demigod. Saying this, it shut Jason up.

"Jake, we don't treat you any differently," but Jake interrupted Jason.

"You do. All of you. You treat me like I'm a freak." Jake pouted.

"I, I'm sorry." Jason looked over to me sitting down. Then he huffed, "Fine, I won't tell Reyna, but you have to be more careful."

Jake's eyes lit up. "Thanks Jason. And I promise we will be. I won't get caught."

 _Nine months from then, thirteen years ago_

"You haven't pushed it at all, but I want to show you something," Jake said one night when we were sitting on the hill overlooking all of New Rome. It was one of my favorite spots at Camp. No one could find us up here.

I bit my lip. "About you being special? Even for a demigod?" Jake nodded. "Is it something to do with your mom being a legacy but your dad being Apollo?"

Jake sighed. "Sort of. It helps if I just show you."

Jake brought out his imperial gold dagger and handed it to me. I gave him a _what do I do with this_ look. "Stab me," Jake said simply.

"What?" I busted out.

"Stab me," he repeated.

"But," I stammered. "This is imperial gold! It could hurt you!"

Jake rolled his eyes and then held out his left hand. "Okay, if you aren't going to stab me, at least cut my hand."

"Jake," I said sympathetically.

"Allie, I'll be fine, just do it."

I cautiously began to cut his skin. It was bright red, but I would normally expect. However, as soon as I cut it, the skin started to repair itself. Almost as quickly as I cut his skin, it was repaired again. He didn't even flinch.

Jake smiled at my amazement. "What, how?" I asked.

"I'm a healer, a special one. Apparently, long ago in my mother's line everyone was a healer blessed by Apollo until my family line and the god had a falling out. That was until my mom got pregnant with me. Her family line in connection with me produced a healer. I can heal myself spontaneously."

"Jake, wow, that's amazing. So, like you can't get hurt?" I asked.

Jake laughed. "Not exactly. I can tire out my powers. If I do too much in too short of a time. But essentially, as long as it's not immediately lethal I should be fine." I still stared at his hand in awe. He continued. "There is however, something else too."

"Something besides being able to heal yourself?" I asked in confusion.

Jake nodded sadly. Then he took out just a regular pocket knife and opened it up. "Do you trust me?" I nodded. "I don't want to hurt you, but I want to show you this."

Jake opened the palm of my hand. Then he took my hand in his and cut lightly into it. The pain stung, but it wasn't anything too unbearable. A thin red line of blood erupted. Then, Jake placed his hand underneath mine. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. All of a sudden, _my_ cut started to repair itself.

"Wait, what?" I asked in amazement.

That's when I realized this wasn't as painless as when the wound was on Jake himself. He didn't flinch the first time, but this time he looked like he was in immense pain. His face was scrunched up and he was holding back tears.

"Jacob!" I exclaimed.

He then released his expression and went back to normal. He looked at me with a very mature expression for a thirteen-year-old. "That's why I'm special to them. I can heal myself, but others as well."

"But it hurts you to heal others?" I asked.

He nodded. "The pain is at least ten times the pain of the victim. It hurts, but I can handle it."

I shook my head. "Don't ever heal me again."

"What?" He asked confused.

"You were in so much pain, I can't see you like that because of me again." I stated, breathing heavily.

"But, what if your hurt? I can heal you." Jake said confused.

"It hurts you," I said, and Jake nodded. "And you don't want to do it?" Again, he nodded. Then I took his hands, "Then promise me you won't heal me."

Jake huffed but also looked slightly relieved. "I promise but I also promise to always protect you in any way I can."

 _Twelve years ago_

"I can't believe she's been coming here for two years. Two years! And you, Jason, knew about it almost the whole time." Reyna was in rage.

"I'm sorry, but I," Reyna threw Jason a look and he immediately stopped talking.

"She's my friend and I want her here," Jacob started to defend me.

"Oh, and you think it's okay to just let any mortal in here? What if she tells other people? You think you can trust her?" Reyna was up in Jake's face.

"Yes, we can trust her." Jake responded instantly.

Then Reyna turned to me and I gulped. "And what about you, Allison Andrews? Can I trust you? How do I know you won't turn your back on us mortal?"

I looked around at Jason and Jacob. They both gave me reassuring looks and I took a deep breath. "I'm learning Latin." I began.

Reyna stepped back in surprise at my response. "You're, what? How is that relevant?"

"And I'm learning about the Roman gods and monsters. And the history of the demigods. Jake's also been teaching me some basic defensive moves." Reyna was still looking at me. "I've known about this for two years, I haven't told anyone."

Reyna sighed and finally spoke. "Well, she'll need a cohort."

"Wait, what?" Jake and Jason were both confused.

"If she's going to be here, she may as well be of use. Welcome to Camp Jupiter."

 _Eleven Years Ago_

I was training and training at camp. Though they would never let me go on a quest, I was quickly becoming a top performer at camp. I was able to take down a lot of demigods if we dueled.

At first, everyone was skeptical of a mortal being at camp. They didn't think I could handle it. However, over time and with a lot of having to prove myself, I succeeded.

During this time, Jake and I grew closer. We grew into each other's best friends, our closest confidents. We had grown close, so close in fact.

We had been laying down on top of the hill overlooking New Rome. Jake had gotten hot chocolate from my favorite café in New Rome. I was tracing his newly burned tattoo on his arm with my open hand.

"You really like that tattoo," Jake smiled at me.

I looked at him with glowing eyes. "You deserve, and you should have gotten it a lot earlier." I traced the lyre and he shivered. Jake kept staring at me while I was tracing his arm. "What?" I exclaimed.

"You're amazing," we faced each other on the grass. "I don't tell you that enough." We leaned in closer to each other. "And you're beautiful, I don't tell you how beautiful you are enough."

"Jake," I said softly. Our noses were touching. We were so close. We had been in this position before. About to kiss, but we were always interrupted.

He caressed my cheek. "Can I do it before we get interrupted?"

I smiled. "Please."

And there on the grass, we shared our first kiss.

 _Nine Years Ago_

The battle was ensuing on the mountain. Reyna and Jason had lead most everyone there to fight the battle. Including my Jacob. My sweet Jacob who could do no harm to others. All he was there was to be inflicted with pain, to be forced to heal others.

I had to stay behind at camp. Officially it was because a mortal couldn't be in the midst of battle. Unofficially I was helping to guard the camp. Also, if I was up there, there would be no way Jacob would be beside anyone else besides me. He, as well as Jason and Reyna, knew I would be safe at camp. Or so we all thought.

The monsters came quick we didn't stand a chance. Luckily for the camp, they weren't there to destroy it. Unlucky for me, there were there to abduct me. I got to some of them, but there were just too many to take on. They tied me hands behind my back and gagged me. Then they placed a black bag over my head.

It didn't take long to get to the mountain. Once we arrived, the battle was ensuing all around us. Demigods and legacies were fighting to win this war. I heard screams and the slashing of swords. All I could think of was about Jacob.

From the incline, I felt them bring me up to the top of the hill. Once on top, they removed the bag. To my left was Atlas holding up the sky. Below, the battle looked just as bad as it sounded.

"We are going to win this fight, mortal," a monster whispered in my ear. I shuddered at the sound. "And we are going to start by taking your boyfriend out of the equation." I took an intake of breath. "He's fighting for you. But he can't fight for anything if you're dead." He took a silver spear out, "This was made especially for you mortal."

He removed my gag. "Please don't do this," I begged even though I knew it would be of no use.

Then they searched the crowd for my boyfriend. Gods, they wanted him to see it. They wanted them to see me die. However, it was Reyna who spotted me first. Her eyes went wide, and she called out.

"Jason! Allie!" She screamed.

Jason's eyes went wide as well when he spotted me. He was flying overhead but he wasn't fast enough. When Reyna screamed my name, I saw my boyfriend. He was frantically looking around until he finally saw me after hearing my name. The most terrified expression washed over him.

I mouthed _I love you_ to him as the spear went through my body. I could see him screaming as I hit the ground. Jason quickly picked me up and flew me, as well as Jacob, out of the fight. I was holding on as much as I could, I just wanted to see Jacob one more time.

"Oh, my gods," Jake muttered and fell over my body.

"Jake, man, I'm so sorry," Jason started.

"Can you get us back to camp?" Jake asked.

"What?" Jason asked but then sighed. "I can, but Jake she's too far gone."

"I can save her," Jake said.

I grabbed his hand with the last bit of my strength. "Jake, no. You'll die and I'm going to die anyway. And you promised me."

He pressed his cheek against mine. "I also promised nothing would ever happen to you, and here we are. Allie, I love you and I would give my life for you."

I would have continued to protest but my eyes rolled into the back of my head. All I heard were screams.

The next thing I remembered was waking up in the infirmary. Everything was in a daze, but somehow, I was alive.

"What?" I asked groggily.

"Oh, thank the gods." Samantha, one of Jake's half-siblings, daughter of Apollo, rushed over. "I'll go get the Praetors."

I was still confused when I realized I wasn't alone. In the same bed as me was Jacob. But he was so pale and his breathing too shallow. I let out a sob and touched his face. "Jacob," I cried.

Just then, Jason and Reyna came rushing in. "You're awake!" Reyna exclaimed.

"What happened?" I asked not taking my eyes off of my love.

"You were dying. Jake insisted on saving you. He worked so hard and so long. He was in a lot of pain, but I'm sure the pain of possibly losing you was worse." Jason began. "Eventually, he passed out after your vitals improved. We tried to move you apart, but anytime we tried to separate you two, one of your vitals would go out of whack, so we thought keeping you together would be best."

"Is he going to be okay?" I managed to choke out.

"We don't know," Reyna stated. "He's been this way for days."

"Days?" I questioned. "How long ago was the battle?"

"Five days," Reyna stated again.

"Did we win?" I asked.

I could hear Jason smile. "Of course, good always win."

"But will good always survive?" I cried against Jacob.

That's when I noticed something on my arm. "Is that?"

Reyna nodded. "We don't know when it came along, but you finally have your tattoo."

I stayed awake as long as I could, until I passed out from exhaustion. I was half-sleeping when I felt someone running their hands through my hair. I couldn't open my eyes, but I was aware of everything.

"I'm glad you're okay," I heard Jason speak.

"I'm fine, but are you sure Allie's okay?" It was Jake.

"She's fine, just exhausted. She's been trying to stay awake for when you wake up. This is the most she's slept in three days." Jason repeated.

I felt a kiss on the top of my head. Jake mumbled, "Sleep my love."

I woke up a few hours later nuzzled in Jake's chest. I shifted slightly and lifted my head up. I opened my eyes and saw Jacob do the same.  
"Jake," I smiled.

"Hey," he smiled back then leaned down to give me a kiss. A good proper kiss in which we were both alive and not dying. "I thought I lost you," his eyes filled with tears.

"I thought I lost you," I repeated back at him.

"When they stabbed you," his voice choked out and I gave him a kiss.

"I know," and I pulled him close.

Jacob then placed his hand under my shirt and I blushed. His hand was cold but felt good against my skin. He then worked it up to right above my stomach area and traced it.

"You'll have a scar," he said. "I'm sorry. I tried to get it all out, but," I stopped him with a kiss.

"You saved my life," I said.

Jake smiled and brushed my hair aside. "I'm done with all this." He stated.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

"All this fighting. All this death and pain. I'm done with this. I want to go to college with you. I want to build a life with you. Have a family someday. But I can't do that here," he finished.

"You're done?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes."

 _Eight Year Ago_

Jacob held me tight against his chest as I sobbed into him. I couldn't face the center. I had my arms wrapped around him. He was murmuring into my ear, but it didn't help.

We were at Jason's funeral. He had died on a quest from a spear. The same way I had almost died over a year before. I couldn't look at his shroud. We hadn't talked to him since we left camp. I felt like we had abandoned him.

Once it was over, we rushed back to our apartment without talking to anyone. However, I knew Reyna had seen us and tried to talk. But we were gone before she could reach us.

"He didn't even know we were engaged," I muttered twisting the ring sitting on my left finger.

We sat in silence for a while until Jake broke the silence. "I could've saved him." Jake cried out.

I instantly sat on his lap and held his head. "Love, you can't save everyone."

"But I could have saved him. If I didn't abandon him and the rest of camp," he trailed off.

 _Seven Years and Ten Months Ago_

I sat stone faced in Reyna's office. The other Praetor Frank sat next to her.

"Allie, I'm so sorry," Reyna was staying stone-cold as well.

I twisted my ring again. "So, you're saying, he just died."

"It was quick, and he was trying to protect the others," Frank said.

"You," I pointed at Frank. "Don't get to talk. She needs to explain herself."

Reyna was showing no emotion. "They were ambushed. Jake sent the other two away knowing he could survive the longest against them. But then he couldn't hold on any longer."

My lip quivered. "And this was because the quest you sent him on?"

"Allie," Reyna almost begged.

"Don't," I held up my hand. "He is," I choked out. "He _was_ the love of my life and now he's gone. All because of this," I gestured around. "I'm done with this."

I started to go hysterical. I started to scratch my tattoo. It started to bleed. "Get this off of me!" I screamed.

Reyna ran over and took me up in her arms and I began to sob. "He's gone, what am I supposed to do now?"

"Do you really not want to be apart of this anymore?" She asked.

I nodded. "It's too much."

She sighed. "We can't do much, but we can shield the mist heavily on your eyes. It can't fix it all, but some."

I nodded and sobbed.

 _Present_

"And that's not everything, obviously, but that's my story," I sighed and looked over at Percy.

"Wow, Allie, I don't know what to say." Percy said.

I shook my head. "You don't have to say anything. Just know who I am and my past. But that's all behind me. I'm here now for our child."

"Our child," Percy repeated.

I smiled. I saw Percy flinch his hand as if reaching towards me. I placed one hand on my stomach. "Do you want to touch it?"

Percy looked like a child with puppy dog eyes. "If, if you're okay with it."

I laughed. "Gods, yes Percy."

I lifted his hand and placed it on my stomach. Once rested there, his eyes were in awe. The baby kicked, and Percy placed his other hand on as well.

"Was that?" he asked.

"A kick? Yeah," I smiled.

Percy leaned in closer. "Hi baby, I'm your daddy. I haven't gotten to talk to you yet, and I'm sorry. But don't worry, I'll be talking to you a lot from now on." He then placed a light kiss on my stomach and he kicked again. That's when I knew everything would be okay.


	6. Chapter 6

Annabeth POV

"Wait, so Percy slept with someone else?" Piper asked after I told them about Allie.

I nodded. "I mean, I broke up with him. I can't control his life."

"Are you mad at him?" Calypso questioned. She had caught up to Reyna, Piper, and me. She said she wanted to talk but when Reyna mentioned Allie she said she wanted to hear this first.

I sighed. "At first I was, yes." I fought back slight tears. "Again, I know I broke up with him, but it still hurt. Almost like he cheated on me, but he didn't." Piper touched my arm for support. "But then, I don't know. It took him a minute to register that the baby was his and he just looked so," I sighed again.

"Broken?" Reyna supplied.

"No," I thought. "He seemed terrified. This is life-changing for him. But he also seemed amazed. And gods," I took a breath. "On the way here, his knuckles were white from holding the steering wheel so tight. All he wants to do is protect his baby. After the shock set in and passed, he loves this child so much."

"It's just not yours too," Reyna said, and I blinked back tears.

"It's not," I agreed. "I always thought that Percy and I would be having our first kid _together_. Now he's going to be a parent with someone else. How's that going to change us?"

Piper smiled reassuringly. "Things will be different, I'm sure. He'll have the baby to take care of, but Annabeth, Percy loves you too. He has so much love in his heart, he can share it between the two of you." The other girls nodded.

"Leo and Percy will have a lot to talk about now," Calypso smiled. We looked confused but then she rested her hand on her stomach.

"Oh, my gods!" I exclaimed, "Are you pregnant?"

Calypso smiled. "Yes. We've been trying for a while now and Leo was so excited when we found out." Leo and Calypso had been married for around two years now. I knew they were trying, but it was exciting to hear the good news. "I'm only twelve weeks along, so I'm early but we're going strong."

"That's amazing Calypso." Piper grinned.

"Okay, well enough about me, Reyna," Calypso began, and Reyna perked up. "You know about this girl Allie, who is she?"

Reyna sighed. "She's from Camp Jupiter but she's a pure mortal."

"How did she get in? You guys seem pretty strict on that." Piper added.

"We are. One of our campers, Jacob Scheper, had been sneaking her in. Jason knew, but he allowed it. They were good friends. When I found out I wanted to kick her out, but she knew so much already it seemed better to let her in." Reyna said.

"So, Jason knew her?" Piper perked in.

Reyna nodded. "Jason and Jake were good friends. By default, Jason got to know Allie. Jake and she were rarely ever separated. They were basically the Percabeth of Camp Jupiter."

"So, her boyfriend was Jacob? Was he a demigod?" Calypso questioned.

"He was, yes, her fiancé actually when he died. A legacy and direct child of Apollo. He had special healing abilities. The ability to heal himself spontaneously and to heal others, but with a great deal of pain." Reyna sighed. "During the final battle of the titan war, Allie was captured and had a spear stabbed threw her for show." She shuddered. "Jake almost died saving her. After that, they both left camp and started their own lives."

"How did he die then?" I asked softly.

"They came back for Jason's funeral. They were both heartbroken at his death and the fact they hadn't reached out to him since they left. Jake had regrets, he felt guilty. He thought if he had been there when it happened he could have saved him."

Piper shook his head. "It all happened too fast. No one could have."

"Exactly," Reyna agreed. "Allie felt the same way, but Jake couldn't shake it. I," Reyna sighed. "I took advantage of the situation. I invited Jacob to go on a quest. In his grief he accepted. He went with Nico and another camper named Drake to search for an object taken from the camp I thought could help us with the emperors. But," Reyna sighed. "There was an ambush. Jake sacrificed himself, so Nico and Drake could leave. He healed himself until he couldn't anymore."

"Gods, that's awful," Calypso stated.

Reyna sighed. "The worst was telling Allie. She was stoic for a while, in deep shock. She hadn't wanted him to go, and her worst fears came to. That day she left camp and didn't look back. She wanted to forget the world of gods and monsters. I tried to contact her, but I never got through. I never knew what happened to her or if she was okay until today."

"Was she," I sighed, "is she a good person?"

Reyna nodded. "Allie Andrews is one of the best people you'll ever meet. That's why it was extremely cruel for her to suffer so much pain. I'm just glad she's happier now."

"I," I shut my mouth.

What could I say to all of that? I had been so mad at Percy and at this girl without even knowing her. She was a mortal in a world she didn't belong in. Not only that, but she lost the love of her life and was broken from it. If I ever lost Percy, gods, I couldn't even think of it. Even the thought made me want to see him right now.

In the distance, I saw a figure emerge from the Poseidon cabin. It was Percy and he was headed away from his cabin. I thought I knew where he was going.

"I need to go talk to Percy," I told the girls.

"That's smart," Piper nodded.

"Congrats again, to you and Leo," I told Calypso.

She smiled. "Thank you."

I made the trudge to the beach where I saw Percy sitting there. He was just sitting there staring off into the horizon. He had so many emotions on his face. Shock, confusion, happiness and most of all love. My heart ached.

I walked through the sand. "Can I sit?" I asked him.

Percy jumped a little. He must have been in deep thought. "Annabeth," him saying my name made my heart race. "Of course," he eventually said.

I sat down and grabbed his arm. I then rested my head on his shoulder. He was tense at first, probably surprised at my affection, but he eventually relaxed. We sat in silence for a few moments. Finally, Percy spoke.

"Are you mad at me?" He asked.

I sighed. "Seaweed Brain, why would I be mad at you?"

"For getting a girl pregnant," he mumbled.

"Percy," I turned his head, so he was looking right at me. "This is no different from when I found out you were with someone else while we were apart. Yes, it was a bit of a shock when I found out, but we'll work through this." I smiled at him. "Percy, you're going to be a dad, and a great dad. I can already see how much you love him."

Percy turned away from me. "I do," he let out a sob. "Annabeth, I love him so much already I can't even describe it." He sighed again. "But are you sure you're not mad that it's not yours? That it's not both of us having a baby?"

I sighed. "I'm a little disappointed, yes. I always thought we would be on this journey together. Having a baby demigod of our own."

Percy turned to me. He then lifted up my shirt and placed his cold hand on my bare abdomen. This connected made me shiver.

"Some day we will," he said. "Some day there will be a little us running around. But for now," he too his hand away, "it's just a little me and Allie." He shook his head. "That's so weird to think about."

"From Reyna, I hear Allie's great," I gulped.

"She is," Percy said. "That's why I was trying to get you two to meet for forever. But," he stammered. "Her life, there was so much I didn't know. Things she never told me about her life at Camp Jupiter and her fiancé."

"Well, to be fair, you didn't tell her about Camp Half-blood." I smiled.

"I mean, yeah I guess, it's just," Percy sighed. "She was my only mortal friend, besides Rachel of course. How come my only mortal friend was someone who was connected to this world as well?"

I shrugged. "Maybe the fates knew you needed each other."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Allie was hurt really bad and you were there to help her. Your fates are obviously intertwined, maybe it's for a reason." I finished.

We sat there in silence until once again Percy spoke. "I know you said you aren't mad, but I'm still sorry."

I leaned over and kissed him. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Percy, we just talked about this. I love you and I love that you love your baby. You'll get through this," I grabbed his hands. "We'll get through this. We always do."

"I love you Wise Girl," Percy grinned.

"I love you too Seaweed Brain,"

Over the next two weeks I got to know Allie well. Percy and Reyna were right, she was great. However, she did have a sadness to her. Through all this, Percy fawned over her. He was making sure she didn't do too much work and that she didn't need anything. She constantly had to remind him she was fine.

We were now sitting in the infirmary. Will Solace had recently gotten out of medical school. Allie was missing appointments out in the mortal world, so Percy insisted that she get some here. I was surprised when Allie and Percy both insisted I come with. Percy wanted me there for support and Allie wanted me there for Percy. Gods, that girl was so selfless.

Will was setting up the machines. "So," Allie began, "you're a son of Apollo?"

Will nodded as he plugged in the last machine. "Yeah, have you met my dad before?"

Allie nodded too. "Yes, my fiancé was a son of Apollo too. We met with him on a few occasions."

"Did he hit on you?" Will asked knowing his father.

Allie blushed. "Yes, but my fiancé was very quick to rebut his father."

Will smiled. "Fiancé's can be like that. Mine will shoot a death glare any time another guy looks at me. I'm afraid he's going to actually scare someone to death one of these days." Allie smiled.

"Are you guys ready?" Will asked, and Percy and Allie nodded.

Will lifted up Allie's shirt to expose her stomach. He then put some clear liquid on it and placed the finder on. Allie jumped slightly, and Percy rushed to her side.

"Are you okay?" he asked immediately.

Allie raised an eyebrow. "Gods, Percy, yes I'm fine. It's just cold, it gets me every time."

Will began to speak. "He looks healthy. Did you say you were 7 and a half months along?" Allie smiled and nodded. "Well, everything seems to be on track. Let me turn this on," and then there was a soft thumping noise. "That's sounds perfect."

"What's that?" Percy asked alarmed.

Allie rubbed the outside of her stomach. "Percy, calm down. That's his heartbeat."

"Wow," Percy said in awe.

"Everything looks to be in order," Will handed Allie a towel to wipe off her stomach.

She sat up and pulled her shirt down. "Thank you so much."

"Any time. Just keep taking your vitamins, he still has some time to go but nothing else looks out of place." I saw Will smile at someone coming in. "And here's my fiancé coming in now."

Percy helped Allie off of the table. Will walked over and gave Nico a light kiss. Nico blushed. He wasn't a fan of PDA, but Will loved it.

"Allie, this is my fiancé Nico. Nico, this is Allie." Will said.

I was expecting Allie and Nico to shake hands, but they just stared at each other. Allie got a dark look on her face. She then bit her lip. Oh gods. I forgot that Reyna had said Nico was on the same quest with Allie's fiancé. But Nico survived and Jake did not.

"We've already met," she said coldly.

Nico shifted. "Wait, you're the Allie who Percy knocked up?" Allie crossed her arms but nodded.

"What's going on here?" Will asked confused just as Percy was.

Nico sighed. "Remember that quest I went on eight years ago for Reyna?"

Will nodded slightly. "The one you almost died in?"

Nico gulped but nodded. "The demigod who gave his life, so Drake and I could get out, that was her fiancé."

Will's face turned to horror. "Gods, I," but he didn't know what to say.

How could he? If Jake hadn't given up his life, Nico surely would have died. But now Will was standing in front of the person who it affected. Will just as likely could have been Allie in the situation.

"We should, we should go," Will finally said and started to pull Nico away with him.

"No," Nico pushed Will away. Everyone in the room held their breaths. "Allie, we should talk."

"I don't want to talk to you," Allie stated and stepped back.

"Allie," Nico took a step forward, but Percy stepped in between them.

"Don't come any closer," Percy defended her. Nico flinched. "I'm warning you," Percy said with a dark tone. Percy could get scary when he was mad.

Nico gulped but didn't move. "He loved you," he blurted out.

"Nico," I trailed off. Percy looked like he was a moment away from pummeling him.

"Like he really loved you," Nico went on. "Gods, he wouldn't stop talking about you." Allie leaned away from Percy and started listening more. "He went on and on about your life. The apartment you two had bought together. Decorating the apartment together. An argument you two had gotten into over which rug to buy." Nico laughed.

"He did?" Allie asked softly.

Nico nodded and went on. "But mostly he talked about you. Drake knew you from camp, but I never met you. So, obviously, he told me everything about you. Your favorite things, your quirks, the way you laughed, how you looked, he said to me you were more beautiful than Venus." Nico smiled. "Will and I were new in our relationship at the time, and all I could think was I wish someone would love me that much someday."

Percy had moved away from Allie to let her through. He was next to me and grabbed my hand.

"When he went into the ambush and died," Nico shook his head. "All I could think about was this girl, who I had never met before and how it would feel to lose her soulmate." Nico choked up. "But I was so grateful. Grateful to keep living my life, but I'm so sorry he had to give his life up in return."

Allie let out a sob and unexpectedly hugged Nico. He was shocked for a moment but hugged her back. "Thank you for telling me that. I've thought about his last days but thank you for telling me." She pulled back.

Then Allie grabbed her stomach for a moment. Her face had a slight pained expression to it, but quickly disappeared. Percy touched her back.

"Are you okay?" he asked concerned.

She gave a brave face. "Yeah, I think he just moved oddly or something."

Will frowned. "I can take another look if you want."

Allie shook her head. "You said everything was fine, everything is fine. I just need to take a walk or something."

"We'll come with you," Percy said.

Percy and I went on a walk with Allie. She seemed fine, but I could tell something was troubling her. I was about to ask her when I felt a shiver go up my spine. I held my hand up.

"Shh," I told them and looked around.

It was too late when I noticed the giant cyclops run out of the forest. I didn't react in time. He flung out his hand and sent Allie flying in the air until she hit a nearby rock with a thud.

"Allie!" Percy screamed and ran to her side. I followed pursuit.

Allie was starting to sit up but then let out a painful moan. She reached down and when she brought her hand up again there was blood. And a lot of it.

"Gods," she cried out.

Percy was in shock, so I started to handle the situation. "Can you stand?" Allie nodded slowly, and I started to help her up.

Just then the cyclops came charging back. Percy stood up. He was angry. No, he was furious.

His voice was low but purposeful. "Get her to the cave. I'll handle him."

I was about to argue, but there was no use. Percy was pissed, and he was going to take it out on that monster himself. Plus, Allie needed help.

I propped her to her feet when I saw something else. Not only was blood streaming down her legs, but a wetness too.

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is," I pleaded.

"I think my water just broke," Allie cried out.

The cyclops threw a boulder and it missed us by a foot or so. Allie screamed. I had to get her into the cave. We hobbled over and got inside. I helped Allie sit down as she groaned again and grabbed her stomach.

"Stay here, I need to go get Will," I said.

But, just as I was about to leave, there was another thud against the cave. This time, the entire cavern shook. I quickly dove back to cover Allie as the entrance to the cave collapsed. Oh gods. Finally, the commotion outside stopped and I rushed over to the rubble.

"Allie! Annabeth!" I heard Percy scream outside.

"We're in here," I yelled back.

"You need to get out of there," Percy replied.

I tried to pull at the rubble, but to no avail. I heard Percy start hitting it with his sword. Allie moaned on the floor and fell over.

"Percy, it's no use." I said in desperation. I heard his sword stop.

"Is Allie?" Percy sobbed out.

"She alive, but," I bit my lip. "She's bleeding and her water broke. You need to go get Will." I heard Percy rush away.

Then I went to tend to Allie the best I could. I sat down next to her. She had tears flowing down her cheeks. "What hurts?"

Allie didn't say anything. She just grabbed my hand and squeezed while screaming. I placed my hand on the side of her belly.

"Was that?" I asked.

"Contractions," she sobbed on.

The next moment, Will and Nico appeared in the room. "We shadow travelled here," Nico said answering my question before I asked.

Will immediately went to work on Allie. He examined her. She had another contraction. He looked up and didn't look optimistic.

"I wouldn't normally want to move her, but she needs more medical attention than I can give her in this cave. The baby's coming and he's not going to make it unless we get them out of here now," Will said and looked at his fiancé.

Nico leaned down. "Just hold on, it's not going to feel great, but it's all we can do for now."

Allie nodded and grabbed Nico's arm. Nico closed his eyes, but nothing happened. He looked confused but tried it again. Again, nothing happened. I looked around us and stood up. I touched the cave walls and sighed.

"It's underworld shale and obsidian," I said, and Nico's eyes went wide.

"What does that mean?" Will asked.

"It's blocking my shadow travelling ability," Nico said. "I could get in, but I can't get out."

Allie sobbed. "So, I'm going to die here? My baby and I are going to die here."

Will shook his head. "No, you're going to have a baby here."


	7. Chapter 7

Annabeth POV

Will was getting Allie ready to have her baby. She didn't want to, and they were waiting until the last second if possible. I was the one who had to tell Percy.

"Percy, are you there?" I asked against the large pile of rocks.

"I'm here Annabeth," Percy said. "How come Allie hasn't come out yet? Are her and the baby okay?"

I sighed. Gods, why did I have to be the one to tell him. "Percy, Nico can't get out. The rocks, they're blocking his powers. We're stuck. And Allie," I trailed off. "The baby's coming Percy."

"He can't," Percy replied urgently. "He's too little, Annabeth. He won't make it. Not in there. Maybe with a NICU, but gods," Percy cried out.

I wanted to stay with Percy, but just then Allie screamed. "Annabeth," Will called to me.

"Percy, I have to go, it's Allie. Just keep trying to get us out," I said but Percy didn't reply. I ran back over to Will. "What do you need?" I asked.

"Tell her, help her," Will stated pointing at Allie.

"Tell her what?" I asked.

Allie shook her head. "I can't have the baby. Not here, not now. I hit my stomach, he's hurt. And he's too little."

"You are both going to die if you don't," Will pleaded.

I sat down next to her and grabbed Allie's hand. "You need to do this. You're strong, you can do this."

Allie sobbed out. "I can't, I," she let out another scream.

Will looked up again. "Allie, he's coming out whether you like it or not. I'm touching his head right now. I'm going to need you to push."

Allie let out a sob, but then she squeezed my hand and screamed. "One more push," Will said.

Allie then let out a final scream and then there was a little cry. Will had brought a towel with, so he wiped the baby off and wrapped him in the towel after a quick examination.

"When the monster hit, there was more damage to the baby than I originally thought. His lung is punctured, he won't make it very long. I'm so sorry Allie," Will said but Allie didn't really register this.

All Allie was doing was looking at her little baby Will had handed her. She had him against her chest and she kissed his forehead. He was so little, but she loved him so much. Seeing this, Will stopped talking and let them enjoy their moment.

"Did you pick out a name yet?" Nico asked.

Allie nodded through her tears. "Percy and I were talking about Jayce, for Jason."

I smiled as I was tearing up as well. "That's perfect."

We then sat in silence as Jayce's cries grew fewer and fewer. Finally, Jayce's labored breathing stopped altogether. Allie let out a small sob.

"He's gone," Nico said sensing his presence in the underworld.

We continued to sit in silence until Allie spoke. "Annabeth," she said, and I turned to her. "Can you tell him?"

"Tell who what?" I asked confused.

"Tell Percy, tell him about Jayce." Allie pleaded.

"I," but then I sighed. "Yes, I'll tell him."

At that moment the rubble at the entrance started to move again. After the shaking stopped, there was a large hole. We were able to get out. Nico and Will helped Allie up as she was still clutching Jayce's body. I gulped and headed out.

Standing there waiting was most of our friends. They had been tirelessly working to try to get us out. Piper, Reyna, Calypso, Leo, Frank, and Hazel were there with Percy. When they saw my face, they all knew. Well, except Percy. My poor love.

"Annabeth," Percy's eyes were wild. "What happened? Where's Allie? Did she have him?"

I just took Percy into my arms, held him and whispered. "Percy, love, baby Jayce didn't make it."

Percy didn't make any sound. He didn't move at all. But in my heart, I knew he had just been broken. His baby was gone. That's when Allie emerged from the wreckage. I let go of Percy, so he could approach her.

Allie didn't say anything, she just handed Percy their baby that had been too good for this world. Percy was devastated. He held Jayce close to his chest and seemed like he would never let go. He had just lost his first child, it was heartbreaking.

Once Percy had Jayce in his arms, Allie collapsed.

"Allie," Reyna screamed. Thankfully, Will and Nico were still nearby so they caught her as she fell.

"We need to get her to the infirmary," Will said.

It was a few hours later and we were all at Allie's beside in the infirmary. Another Apollo camper had finally pried Jayce from Percy's arm and wrapped him in a shroud for burial. When Percy let go, gods, he kissed his son's cold head and whispered he loved him.

Allie started to shake away. Will immediately rushed over to her side to see how she was.

"Allie, how are you feeling?" Will asked. Allie shook her head. Will continued, "Is there anything that hurts? Your vitals seem fine, but you collapsed."

Allie stayed silent for a moment but finally said. "I'm done."

Nico asked, "What do you mean you're done?"

"My baby is dead; the love of my life is dead. I'm done." She stated simply.

The next few days were tough. Allie barely ate, drank, or slept. She was done, as she had said. She was slowly killing herself and there was nothing anyone could do about it. We had a small burial for Jayce, nothing special but I knew it meant a lot to Percy. He hadn't said much, but he hadn't wanted me to leave his side either.

Percy had called Sally the day after it happened. Her heart broke for her son and grandchild. Sally remained strong for her son, but I knew she was hurting too.

It was two weeks from when it happened when Percy said, "I think I need to be alone for a little. If that's okay with you."  
I smiled and rubbed his arm. "Percy, of course. Whatever you need."

"Can you check on Allie while I'm gone?" He asked.

"Of course, Percy," I gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Do what you need to do."

Percy headed off towards the beach and I headed to the infirmary. In there, Will was checking Allie's vital. They were stable but lowering. Nico sat nearby as well.

"How's she doing?" I asked them. Allie was lying awake, but there was no use in asking her. She hadn't spoken since the burial.

Nico shook his head. "I can feel the life force fading out of her."

"Come on Allie," I held her hand, but she showed no recognition she knew I was there. "You can make it through this."

Percy POV  
I went to the beach and cried. I just sat by the ocean and cried. I cried for my son who I never got to meet.

Without warning, I felt someone give me a hug. I looked up and it was my father, Poseidon. He was older, but still in his Hawaiian shirt. He had a sad look on his face.

"Hello, Percy. I've been meaning to come to make a visit, I'm sorry it took so long," He said.

"How do you manage it?" I asked immediately. I had been wanting to ask my dad ever since it happened.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean?" Poseidon questioned.

"How do you lose your kids?" I asked, and Poseidon sighed. "I mean, you've been doing it for thousands of years. How do you get through it all? I know you're a god, but do you feel it at all?" I stared at him hopefully for an answer.

"You know I know every time a child of mine is produced?" My father said, and I stared at him for clarification. "I knew every time a woman gets pregnant. Sometimes she loses a baby before she even knows. But every single time I know." He sighed again. "Not every time did I have the luxury to feel their deaths, but I know what it's like Percy. After thousands of years, I know."

"How do I get through it?" I asked.

Poseidon shrugged. "You just have to wait. I know for a god that might seem trivial, but it's necessary." I nodded and stared off. "And Percy, there was actually something else I wanted to talk to you about."

I looked at my father. "What is it?"

"In a few weeks' time, I'll send you something. I recommend Reyna, Annabeth, and Nico as well." He stated and then he was gone.

I sighed confused as to what my father meant. Gods were always vague. I walked back and ran into Annabeth.

"Hey," she said softly and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

Gods, had she been amazing. Through all of this, she was my rock. She loved me through all of this. And gods, did I love her more and more each day.

"I just talked to my dad," I told her.

She arched her eyebrow. "Oh, what did you talk about?"

"Just about losing," I choked not being about to say it. Annabeth placed her hand on my arm. She knew without me having to say it, and I was so grateful she knew me so well. "And something about he would give me something in a few weeks. Whatever that means." I sighed. "How's Allie?"

"The same, still bad. Nico says her life force is draining. It's like she is dying from heartbreak." Annabeth sighed.

"I'm going to go be with her," I stated, and Annabeth nodded.

The next few weeks passed, and I began healing. I wasn't completely healed, I didn't think I ever would be, but I was feeling stronger. I had Annabeth and my friends at my side.

During this time, Calypso started to show during her pregnancy. At first, Leo and she were careful to avoid me. They thought me seeing them would hurt. Honestly, it didn't. My hurt had nothing to do with their happiness. Once they realized this, they were happy to go around as they pleased. I loved seeing them get what they deserved.

One day Chiron called me to the big house. Once I was there, I was surprised to see Annabeth, Nico and Reyna already sitting at the ping pong table.

"What's this about?" I questioned.

Chiron handed me an envelope. "Your father dropped it off this morning."

I opened the envelope and inside there were numbers written. "They're coordinates," Annabeth said seeing the note over my shoulder.

"Okay, so what are we supposed to do with it?" I asked confused.

"Go to it, I guess," Reyna supplied.

"It shouldn't take you long, Nico can travel you all there. But Poseidon did stress some urgency to this. Something to do with Allison Andrews," Chiron said.

Nico looked sad. "I talked with Will this morning. She was rapidly declining all night. She hasn't eaten anything for days. She won't make it much longer."

"So, we need to get back to say goodbye?" I managed to choke out and Annabeth held my hand.

"Let's just get this over with and get back here. Nico, can you bring us to these coordinates?" Annabeth asked, and Nico nodded.

We all huddled in a circle. Each of us had one hand touching Nico. The next moment we were traveling in the dark until we arrived at a very bright space. Sand was stretched all around us. We were in a desert.

"Oh, gods," Nico mumbled.

"What is it? Do you know where we are?" Annabeth questioned.

Nico nodded. "This is where I almost died eight years ago."

I gulped. "What could my dad want from here?"

"Let's go check it out," Reyna said and pointed to something behind me.

I hadn't noticed it, but a few hundred yards out there was a dark cave. Standing guard there were pairs and pairs of monsters. How would we get in?

"I may have something to help," Annabeth said and reached into her backpack to take out a small golden box.

"What's that?" I asked.

She smiled. "Something I've been tinkering with Leo on. It's a knockout box. It won't kill the monsters, but it should keep them asleep for an hour or so." I leaned over and gave her a kiss.

"My girlfriend's a genius," I stated.

She rolled her eyes and blushed. "Yeah, well let's just see if it even works."

She set down the box, pressed a few buttons, and set a jolt throughout the sand. Off in the distance, sand was flying up as the various monsters fell over in sleep. Annabeth picked up the box and placed it into her backpack.

"That should keep them down, but we should hurry," Annabeth said.

We walked quickly over to the cave and carefully ventured inside. Annabeth quickly touched the walls.

"It's underworld shale and obsidian, whatever we are getting we'll have to get outside again before we can travel back," Annabeth said.

We then ventured further into the cave. There was no sound until we heard one. It was a soft moaning noise coming from the other side of the corridor. We all agreed silently and took out our weapons. We went into the room and it wasn't what I was expecting.

Against the wall, there was a man chained up. His arms were stretched to either side of him pulled out with imperial gold chains. His feet were shackled to the floor. He was covered in fresh cuts and bruises. A monster lay on the floor with a dagger covered in blood. The monster had been cutting him.

Then something interesting happened. Instead of the blood continuing to poor, it was slowly stopping. His cut seemed as if they were knitting themselves back together again. He was healing.

"Oh, my gods," Reyna exclaimed. She dropped her weapon and rushed over. "Is he?" she looked at Nico.

"It's him," he nodded slowly. "He's fine, well fine for him anyway. Anyone else and they would be dead, but he's healing."

Nico rushed over and aided in taking his shackles off. They cut his feet bonds first. Then they cut the chains holding his arms up and he fell to the floor. Annabeth rushed over and poured ambrosia in his mouth. That speed up the healing process.

His head was still to the side, but his body appeared healed. With his wounds gone, I could tell he was a handsome demigod. He had golden blonde hair and a brave face. However, he must have been like this for a while. His hair was untidy and overgrown, and he had an uneven beard on his face.

"Who is he?" I asked, not putting it all together.

"It's Jacob Scheper, Allie's fiancé," Reyna said in awe.

I stepped back a second. "I thought he was dead."

"We thought so too," Nico said. "Drake and I thought he had sacrificed himself and died. But after all this time, they must have been using him, torturing him."  
At that moment, Jake woke up. His eyes flashed opened and he sat up quickly. "What, who?" he looked around. "Reyna? Nico? What's going on? Why are you here?"

I could see tears coming to Reyna's eyes. "We got a message from Poseidon, or Neptune whatever, to come here to retrieve something. That something was you."

Jake looked around again, this time at Annabeth and me. "You two were at Jason's funeral."

Annabeth nodded. "Yes, I'm Annabeth and this is my boyfriend Percy."

Jake nodded but was still in a daze. "So, it's over? They're done using me?" he almost pleaded out.

Reyna nodded. "Yes, they are done."

Jake still looked in a daze when something seemed to strike him. "You all look so much older. How long has it been?"

We all looked around at each other until Reyna finally spoke. "We thought you were dead Jake, it's been almost eight years."  
His eyes went wide. "It hasn't been, it can't. Oh, gods. Allie." He placed his head in his hands. "How's Allie? Gods," he choked on a sob, "she thought I was dead?"

Reyna nodded. "She does, yes. After she found out, she left camp and didn't look back. I didn't see her until a few months ago."

"What happened a few months ago?" Jake asked innocently.

"She," Reyna gulped. "She was pregnant. The baby a legacy, the father a demigod."

A few emotions crossed Jake's face. Sadness but also optimism. "So, after me, she found someone else? She had a baby?"

Reyna shook her head. "No, it was a fling, they weren't together." A small look of relief passed his face. I'm sure he wanted her to be happy, but he still wanted to be with her obviously. "But," Reyna bit her lip. "There was an accident and the baby died."

"The baby died?" Jake asked.

Reyna nodded. "Allie lost it then. The pain from missing you came rushing back again and the pain of losing her baby. She's dying Jake. She's not eating, drinking or sleeping."

Jake shook his head. "She can't be. She's Allison Andrews. There's no way she could be dying right now."

"Jake," Reyna placed her hand on Jake's arm and he sighed.

"What am I supposed to do? Now? After all this time?" Jake looked defeated.

"Be with her," I stated. Everyone turned towards me.

"And you're Percy?" I nodded at Jake. "How do you know Allie?"

I gulped. "We met in college. We'd been friends ever since. I didn't know she knew about the demigod world until a few months ago."

"Are you?" He let the question hang.

I nodded. "I was the baby's father. But as Reyna said, we were never together. Just friends." Jake nodded but looked defeated still. "She talked about you a lot." I continued.

"She did?" he asked hopefully.

I nodded. "She always called you her fiancé. I know it hurt her to talk about you, but whenever she did she was always smiling. If you go back," I sighed. "She'll be herself again, I know it."

"So, she's at Camp Jupiter?" He questioned.

"Camp Half-blood actually," Reyna said. "We can head there now, we just have to get out of the cave."

Jake smiled and started to stand up. "I know it probably doesn't matter much, but can I shave and get a haircut when we get back to camp? I know it doesn't really matter, but I want to look good for Allie."

Reyna laughed. "Of course."

We started to walk out of the cave when Nico finally spoke. "Jacob, I'm so sorry."

Jake turned back at Nico. "Sorry for what?"

"Sorry for leaving you. It should have been you, not me. You had Allie and," Jake cut Nico off.

"And what? You had Will too," Nico was about to protest when Jake continued. "Nico, _I_ choose this. Yes, it wasn't pleasant, but don't blame yourself." This set a wave of relief through Nico.

Once we got outside, Nico traveled us back to camp. When we got there, Jake rushed to shower and shave. When he got out and dressed, he looked like the Jake from pictures Allie had shown me. The only difference was his hands were shaking.

He saw me looking and said. "Sorry, I'm just nervous. It's not every day you have a reconnection with your love."

I smiled. "I get it, man. I got my memory wiped and ended up in the Roman camp. When Annabeth saw me again, she judo flipped me."

Jake's eyes got wide and Annabeth added. "Guilty."

"But I'm sure you'll be fine," I said.

We were heading out to the beach. Surprisingly, Nico had talked to Will and Allie was out on the beach. It was time to connect her to her love.

Allie POV

I was laying in my bed in the infirmary. I could hear what everyone was saying. I was getting worse. My vitals were dropping. They didn't think I would make it until the end of the day. Eventually, everyone but Will left.

I liked Will. He had some of the same aspects Jake had being a child of Apollo. They both cared and many other things. Gods, did I miss Jake.

"Let's go for a walk," Will said. I didn't acknowledge that I heard him. He sighed. "I know you can hear me and I know you know you're dying. Wouldn't you want to feel the sun on your face again? It's a beautiful day."

I don't know what made me want to do it. Maybe I knew it would be my last time before staying in the underworld. Maybe I wanted to feel the sun one more time. Maybe I felt like something would change.

Therefore, I swung my legs over and sat up. A dizziness passed over me, but it quickly passed. Will had a surprised expression on his face but helped me get up.

We walked outside, and I headed to where my body wanted. I wanted the wind and the sun. I headed over to the ocean. I took a deep breath and smelled the seawater. It was calming. When I was pregnant, Jayce always liked the water. Now knowing he was a grandson of the sea god, it made sense. Gods, did I miss him.

I opened my eyes and saw some other people across the beach. I squinted and saw Percy, Annabeth, Will, and Reyna in front. However, there was another person with them. Who was it?

They continued to walk forward, and I saw him. Oh, gods. I saw _him._ I had to be dying if I was seeing him. His golden blonde hair, his relaxed smile, gods, was I hallucinating? I couldn't move from my spot. But once he came close enough, I knew it was him.

I ran forward, and he ran as well. He took me up in his arms and gave me a big kiss. I tangled my hands in his hair and pulled him close. He placed his hands on my hips and deepened our kiss. I knew there were people watching, but it honestly felt like it was just us.

We pulled away for a moment to breath. Our noses touched as we caught our breath. I opened my eyes just to see him and saw he was staring at me too.

"Allie," he moaned out.

"Jake," I cried. "How? What? Is it really you?"

He smiled softly. "It's my love. I promise. I'm so sorry I left you, I didn't," but then I kissed him again.

"How?" I asked again.

Jake shook his head. "Poseidon sent Reyna, Nico, Annabeth, and Percy on a quick quest to find me. I don't know why now the time was right to make an impromptu rescue, but I'm glad they did." He took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. "They told me you lost a child. Allie, love, I'm so sorry."

More tears came to my eyes. But with Jake, I was finally able to talk about him. "His name was Jayce. He was so little, but I'm pretty sure he had my eyes and nose."

"I bet they were extra cute," he remarked.

I let out a sad laugh. "They were. But he was taken too early. I wish he could have grown up, but he died."

Jake nodded. "I know, but Allie you need to eat. And drink something and sleep."

"But I just got you back, we need to talk and," Jake kissed me again.

"Later. Right now, we need food. Then rest," he said.

I shook my head. "What if I'm just imagining this? What if you're not there when I wake up?"

He smiled softly. "From now on, I'll always be here when you wake up."

We went to grab something to eat and headed back to Hera's cabin. I laid down on my bed. Jacob slide in next to me like he did when we were living together. He kissed my head and I rested my head on his chest. I slept well for the first time since he was gone.

 **I hope you enjoyed this. Sorry for the tradegy, but it was always how I envisioned it going (I teared up a big while writing it). Hopefully the end made up for it. Please keep reading and reviewing. Thank you all again!**


	8. Chapter 8

Jacob POV

Allie reached over and gave Percy and Annabeth each a hug. She pulled back and smiled at them both. She then reached down to pick up her bag, but I quickly seized it from her.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Jake Scheper, I am a grown woman and I can carry my own bag."

I smiled and pulled her in close and kissed her on the cheek. "Yes, but with me, you never will." She blushed and smiled.

"Are you sure you two will be okay?" Percy asked.

"Percy, yes, we will be okay. It's like we are just going on a little vacation," Allie stated. Percy gave me a side look.

It had been six weeks since I was back. Six weeks since I had been found and taken out of that hellhole. Six weeks since I had Allie back in my arms again. These past weeks had been great. However, there were a few hiccups.

Allie and I had always been with each other. We never hid anything from one another. Now, there was a long period of our lives that we weren't together. We wanted to reconnect, just the two of us away. Annabeth had suggested Percy's house on the ocean. It was a few hours away from Camp Half-blood and it was a gift from Poseidon, so it was protected with magic. Percy had graciously let us use it.

"Are you sure you two need couples therapy? You seem like honestly perfect," Annabeth said.

Allie smiled sheepishly. "Yes, we are close now, but there's so much we need to talk about. We lost eight years together. Honestly, we were closer before and I know we can get back to that."

I pulled Allie in close. "We just need time to reconnect, just the two of us. You have all been great and I'm so thankful you were all here for Allie when I couldn't be, but it needs to be just us two for a while."

Annabeth smiled. "And we have your apartment key. Percy and I will go and clean out the nursey while you are out."

Allie's eyes teared up a bit. She managed out, "Thank you."

Percy was standing a little bit farther back. I had gotten to know Percy a little bit more these past few weeks. It was a little weird knowing he slept with Allie and had a child with her, but he was a really good person. He was very loyal. Even though he had gotten to know me, I knew he was still wary of letting me go with Allie alone. His overprotective nature was taking over.

Percy stepped forward. "Again, are you sure you're going to be okay?" He glanced at me.

"Stop it," she lightly hit him. "Jake is not going to do anything to me. He's not some serial killer."

I smirked. "Well, I'm not going to do anything bad to you, but I might make you scream in some other ways," I trailed off.

Allie's eyes got wide and she blushed. "Jacob," she whispered still with a great blush on her face.

"Okay, you two get going before I barf in my mouth," Annabeth said but she smiled while saying it.  
Allie gave Percy a sad look. This would be the first long time apart since losing their baby. It had to be difficult to some extent. Allie rushed over and gave him one last hug and whispered something in his ear. Whatever she said made him relax a bit. We waved a quick goodbye and headed off.

Allie and I fought over who go to drive, but finally, I gave up and let her. I never really won any arguments with my love. We headed off towards the beach house. And gods, did Allie look beautiful. She was singing loudly to the music and laughing. We had the windows partially down, so her hair moved in the wind.

She caught me staring and turned the music down. "What?" she asked.

"You're just so beautiful," I said smiling.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, Romeo." But she then bit her lip. "You're not too bad yourself."

I rolled my eyes. "Wow, thanks. I call you beautiful and all I get is not too bad?"

She smiled and just turned up the music again. We eventually made it to the beach house. We got out and unpacked our bags. Once we got settled in, I looked at Allie.

"We've had a long day; can we do our talking tomorrow? I just want to be with you tonight and not have to worry about anything else." I said.

Allie stood up tall and kissed my lips. "Yes, Jake, of course."

So that night we were just with each other. I woke up the next day to Allie sleeping on my chest. I loved sleeping with her. We hadn't done anything yet since I was back, but I loved her just sleeping. I moved over to the side and got up slowly. I showered and got ready for the day.

Allie followed me downstairs thirty minutes later. She had her hair up in a messy bun and was wearing maroon leggings with a plain black shirt. She wasn't wearing any make-up either. And gods, did she look so sexy. But I knew I couldn't say or do anything, we had things to discuss.

I slide her over a cup of tea. "You still like tea, right? And do you want anything to eat? I can make you something."

She smiled softly. "The tea is perfect. But I don't really feel like eating."

We both stood in silence. "Should we, should we sit down?" I asked rubbing the back of my neck. Gods, I loved this woman so much, but I never felt more uncomfortable at the same time.

She nodded. We went over the living room and sat on opposite ends of the grey couch. The living room had a wall full of windows overlooking the ocean. It was amazing. Allie crossed her legs across from me and held onto her tea tight.

"Do you want to go first?" I asked.

She nodded. "I guess. What do you want to know?"

I shrugged. "What is there to know? I haven't seen you for eight years. How did, what did you do after I," I gulped, "after you thought I died?"

She looked down at her tea. "I left. Camp Jupiter had too many memories of you. Without you, I didn't feel like I belonged there. So, I did what we did after the titan war, I ran."

I gulped. "Why didn't you stay? Reyna could've helped you. Our friends were there."

Allie shook her head and I saw tears coming to her eyes. "No, I couldn't. I was broken, Jake, you were gone. The person who I had pictured the rest of my life with. How could I go back to a place like that?"

"Allie, if I'm pushing too hard, we can stop," but she shook her head aggressively.

"No, I hate talking about it, but we have to. We have to move past it," Allie stated.

I hated to see her cry, but she was right. We both had to tell our stories. "And after camp?"

"I moved to New York City, somewhere far away from camp and where I could blend in. I went about my day to day business and got my degree in healthcare administration."

"And that's when you met Percy?" I asked.

Allie nodded. "He was struggling in some of his classes. I had been helping some other students with classes as well when I noticed tutors were dropping out on him. He was only a grade younger than me, but I insisted on getting paired with him when I heard his tutor yell at him." She smiled. "All he needed was the right motivation. Eventually, he was able to pass all his classes. Percy's mom, Sally, insisted that I come over for dinner after learning I had helped him. Ever since then Percy and I have been friends."

I swallowed. "Did you," I sighed and shook my head. "Never mind, it's not important."

"No, Jake, if we are going to move past this, we have to share everything," she said.

"Did you have feelings for Percy?" I asked slowly.

She stared back at her tea. "Not in the way you would think. I never had feelings _for_ him, more about him." I stayed silent waiting for her to elaborate. "He loves Annabeth so much, sometimes I would fantasize about someone loving me that much. Sometimes it was you alive, but sometimes it was him. I never loved Percy, not the way I love you," she smiled into her cup, "but that didn't mean I don't care deeply for him."

I nodded. I thought this information would hurt me, but it really didn't. Percy was a good guy but neither had true feelings for each other.

"Is that why you slept with him?" I asked.

Allie looked at me sadly. "Yes and no. I wanted to be with someone, to feel _something_ , even if it was just through sex. In my mind, I knew it would be bad to go off with just anyone. It wouldn't be good for me and Percy was just _there_ ," she shook her head. "It filled some of my fantasy, but he wasn't you."

I sighed. I didn't want to bring it up, but I had to. "And after you found out you were pregnant?"

"I was scared, of course. I was single and working a high-stress job. When Percy cut me off, I knew I just had to accept it. It was going to be my baby and me against the world." She started to tear up. "I was viewing the world in a new way every day. I also think," she sighed. "I think I was starting to notice things again."

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

"About the demigod world. It didn't occur to me that my baby was a demigod, I thought it was just me being a mom. I noticed accidents being caused on the news, and they were monsters. Things like that."

I nodded. "Allie, I have to ask you something else too. It hurt me, but I know asking might hurt you." I stared at her with sad eyes.

"Jake, go ahead," she said instantly.

"Why were you killing yourself?" She took an intake of breath and set down her tea. I immediately backpedaled. "I didn't mean, if you don't want," she shook her head.

"Do you remember when I got stabbed?" Allie asked.

"How could I forget? It was the worst day of my life," I replied.

Allie had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Losing Jayce was that day for me. Of course, losing you was horrible as well, but I never felt it. You were gone, but I just ignored my grief. Losing Jayce, it was the grief of not having you both combined. I didn't want to live anymore without you."

"Allie," I said sadly.

She smiled softly. "I knew it was stupid, but I didn't have anything holding me back. Obviously now, I know that's not true. Even without you, I had Percy and Reyna and our friends from camp. It was just," I scooted over and held her in a tight hug.

"If you ever feel like that, just tell me and I'll," but she cut me off with a kiss.

"Jake, I won't. Not ever again. I love you and I love this world. I've never met Pluto and I'm not going to anytime soon."

I smiled and looked up at the clock. We had been talking for hours and hadn't even gotten to my story. The story I was regretting to tell. I sighed.

"I know I need to explain my time too, but are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?" I asked.

Allie smiled and nodded. We quickly ate some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, both our favorite. We then sat down on the couch. The sun was starting to lower slightly in the sky. I sighed.

"I'm going to tell you what happened. I'm just going to get through it, I don't think I'll be able to start after I stop." I began, and Allie nodded eyes open wide. "I told Nico and Drake to leave, I knew I could endure some pain long enough for them to get away. They ran out. Eventually, I was overwhelmed. They stabbed me in my side and I passed out."

"I thought I died," I continued. "But I woke up and was chained to the wall. I had slowly healing cuts all over my body. When I was passed out, they had been cutting me." I saw Allie's jaw tense. She hated it when people abused my powers, but I couldn't focus on that right now. "At first, they experimented on me."

I shook my head. "When Reyna and the others came to get me, they only saw the monsters. But, Allie, it wasn't just monsters. Mostly, it was other demigods. I don't know who or how but," I blinked back tears.

"At first, I refused to heal them. Demigods and monsters alike were murdering each in front of me, trying to taunt me to save them. I didn't. They continued to cut me, but the healing didn't hurt. I knew I could endure it. And then," I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes.

"Jake," Allie's voice was shaking.

I continued. "They brought in these two women. One looked just like my mom did and one looked like you. I knew it wasn't either of you, but there was resemblance. The one like you had your same hair and gods, I have no idea how they knew it."

"The woman who looked like you, Samantha, she had a daughter Andrea. I later found out she was a daughter of Apollo, the Greek version though, but there wasn't much of a difference. I kept picturing that would be what _our_ daughter would look like someday."

Allie gave me a sad look. I continued. "They started to torture and cut them, and I had to help them. They were obviously not part of the group. They never hurt the daughter, but the way she screamed while her mom was being tortured," I paused remembering her cries. "This went on for a while. It could have been months or years, honestly, I don't know. I eventually started to get immune to the pain of helping someone else. I mean, not quite immune. But I had experienced such immense pain that the pain I was experiencing was negligible."  
I paused and looked over and saw Allie in tears. She opened her mouth. "And the women and the little girl?"

I turned away from her. "The one who resembled my mother died first. They had brought in one of their own and I had refused to heal them. For punishment, they killed her. I was chained to the wall and couldn't get down until it was too late. Samantha," I trailed off and shut my eyes. "They tried some kind of biological agent on her. I couldn't heal the virus and she died. After the mom died, I never saw Andrea again."

"How long ago was that? What happened after?" Allie asked softly.

"I," I sighed. "I gave in. I knew that they had to know about you in some capacity to get Samantha to resemble you so well. They threatened to find you and torture you. I couldn't take the chance. I started to heal their soldiers without question. Even with this, they still liked to cut me for sport and watch me heal. It probably went on for a few years until I was found."

I finally looked at Allie again. She had her head tilted and her hand over her mouth. She was sobbing hysterically. My love. I went over and pulled her into my arms. She sobbed into my chest.

"How are you okay?" She finally asked.

"What do you mean?" I questioned confused.

"This was your life for eight years. Eight years! We abandoned you, _I_ abandoned you. How can you forgive me for not searching for you? How did you make it through it all? All while you were being tortured," I stopped her with an aggressive kiss.

"Allie," I held her face and stared into her eyes. "Every moment I was thinking of you. I was thinking of your laugh, the way you smiled, the way you blushed when I kissed you," her face was flushed. "I was picturing this moment. I love you so much. I know you didn't think there was hope for me. I'm not mad no one searched for me." I kissed her again. "I've been dreaming about being with you for years. You're my dream, that's how I made it through."

I leaned down and gave her a kiss. This one was different from all our others up until this point though. It wasn't tender and delicate. This one was passionate and hungry. I wanted her, and Allie returned the kiss in the same way.

Soon, I was laying on top of Allie holding her arms above her head. Both our shirts had come off somewhere in the process. I made my way down from her lips, to her neck, to her breasts. She moaned, and I smiled against her chest.

"Jake," she gasped when I kissed her midline.

I wanted this. I wanted _her_. But I stopped myself. I brought myself up to her face and looked her in the eyes.

"Are you okay with this?" I asked.

Her eyes grew soft. "Okay with what?" she asked almost amused.

"With," I gulped. "With sex. I know you haven't done anything since the baby," I trailed off as she wrapped her legs around me and kissed me.

"Jake, you are so sweet. And yes, I'm ready. So please, love, take me to the bedroom and make love to me," she asserted.

"You don't have to tell me twice," I finished.

Annabeth POV  
Percy and I were at Allie's apartment cleaning out the nursery. We were almost done, we just had to pack up some of the miscellaneous items. I placed a stuffed animal in a cardboard box and looked over at Percy.

He had been doing okay most of this time. He had been mostly silent though, which was unusual for him. There was a moment when we set aside some framed sonograms that he got choked up. Allie had wanted to keep those.

He was currently staring at the painted elephant on the wall. I walked up and wrapped my arms around him. I placed a kiss on his shoulder.

"Seaweed brain, what's going on in that head of yours?" I asked.

"Owls," he said plainly.

I stepped back and raised an eyebrow. Percy turned to look at me. "Excuse me?" I questioned.

"For if we ever have a little girl. The nursery would be filled with little owls," Percy said, and my heart swelled.

"If we had a girl?" I asked again.

He nodded like it was the simplest thing in the whole world. "And if it's a boy, sea creatures. Or maybe just like a Finding Nemo theme."

"You think about what our kids will be like?" I asked.

Percy nodded. "I do, a lot ever since Jayce." He sighed. "I didn't realize how much I wanted kids, not until then. And now, I know we are still young and we have to fix our relationship more, but I want kids with you Annabeth."

I smiled and kissed him. "I do too Percy. Some day."

He smiled and kissed me back.

 **Please review. Thank you all for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

Percy POV

I smiled and walked up to Annabeth. She had her hair in a ponytail and was staring intently at some of her architecture renderings. The way her head was cocked, I could tell she was deep in thought.

I slowly wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her hair. "Have I told you how beautiful you look today yet?" I asked.

She turned to face me and rolled my eyes. "Gods, Percy. Could you get any cheesier?"

"For you," I smiled. "Of course," and planted a kiss on her lips.

This was the happiest I had been in a long time. Annabeth and my relationship were stronger than ever. I'd been considering proposing for a while, but I liked where we were at. I didn't need to change it quite yet.

However, Allie and Jacob were engaged once again. It was definitely the happiest I have ever seen her. Well, that was if I even saw her. She'd been burying herself in books at the library. She was trying to find out what group tortured Jacob, but she wasn't having much luck.

"It's a beautiful day out," I said. "Let's go on a walk." Annabeth smiled and followed me out hand in hand.

We walked along the lake until the edge of the forest. We sauntered in silence, but it was comfortable. This was how I wanted to spend my life with this woman. Eventually, we made it to the forest where we saw Jacob.

Jacob seemed to be looking for different herbs in the forest. He had a small burlap bag and was digging through the brush. It was an interesting concept for him.

"Hey, Jake," Annabeth said announcing our presence.

He jumped a little but stood up and greeted us. "Hey guys, how's it going?" He asked.

"We're good. Where's your fiancé?" Annabeth questioned.

"In the library, buried in books, again," Jacob sighed.

I nodded in understanding. "What are you doing out here?"

Jacob blushed. "Nothing."

Annabeth raised her eyebrow. "Is that the sleeping flower?" she asked.

Jacob sighed. "Yes, eh, no? Do you think it's ever okay to drug someone?"  
My eyes went wide. "I mean, no?"

Annabeth seemed to understand though. "Is it for Allie?"

Jake sighed again. "Yes, I can't remember the last time she's slept through the night. She's so caught up in finding that group," he shook his head. "I'm grateful for her for looking, but I'm over it. I just want to be here in the now."

"She just can't let it go," Annabeth supplied. "I can imagine how she's feeling. If it was Percy, I wouldn't stop until I found them."

Jake nodded. "Yeah, but if I could just get her to sleep through the night maybe it would get her through the road block."

"Well, I think it's fine. You're only doing it for her health." Annabeth said.

I coughed. "But you're still drugging her," I said my overprotective nature taking over.

"Have you seen Allie lately?" Annabeth asked.

I bit my lip. I actually hadn't. I had seen her after her engagement a few weeks ago, but not much since then.

"No," I said softly.

"Follow me then," Annabeth said.

Jake and I followed Annabeth to the library. It was astounding, one of Annabeth's designs. We ventured in to the middle when I saw Allie. She was facing us, but she seemed to have dozed off even though it was early evening still.

She was surrounded by stacks and stacks of books. Allie had notes scattered around her. Dark bags sunk under her eyes. She didn't look great. Jake sighed and approached her.

He leaned down and shook her shoulders lightly. "Allie, love," he supplied.

Her eyes shot open. "Jake?"

"You fell asleep, again," he said. "Love, just come to bed. You can work on it in the morning."

"I'm fine," Allie defended but let out a long yawn after speaking. She sighed, "Jake, I can't sleep. I wake up and need to come search again."

"He can give you a sleeping potion," Annabeth added. Allie looked towards her and Annabeth continued. "It only keeps you asleep for as long as you need to sleep."

Allie sighed but shook her head. "I can't; I get nightmares when I sleep. I keep thinking of Jake away, getting tortured."

"I'll be next to you the whole time; I won't leave your side," Jake said rubbing Allie's shoulders.

Allie bit her lip. "Guys, I know you all care about me, but I just can't. I know I'm close to a break through, I just know it! All I need is to look over everything again and I'll find what I'm missing."

She was determined. This is one of the things I admired most about her. When she was tutoring me, she didn't give up even if I was hopeless. Allie put herself through school top of her graduating class. She proceeded to get a job at one of New York's finest hospitals at the age of 22 and helped run the place. She got there with her determination.

"Allie," I began, and she turned her tired eyes to me. "You're determined, we all know that. You push through everything you've done and don't give up. You just need sleep."

She chocked back a sob. Allie contemplated for a moment but shook her head. "I, I can't." She turned her head to Jake's direction and placed her hand on top of his. "I gave up on Jake without any thought the first time, I can't know."

Jake sighed. "Allie, we've talked about this. I don't blame you. In the eyes of the legion, I was dead. Even Nico couldn't tell where I was, in the living or the dead. You couldn't have known"

"What if I take a look?" Annabeth supplied.

Allie turned her head to the side. "What?"

"I can take a look at your notes and the books you are looking through. A second pair of eyes never hurt." Annabeth continued.

Allie bit her lip. "Annabeth, you don't have to," then Annabeth held up her hand.

"Is that a yes?" Annabeth questioned.

Allie sighed. "You really don't have to, but yes, I'll go to bed."

Immediately I could see Jake's face relax. He had been worried about his fiancé, and now one of his immediate worries could be behind him.

"You two go to bed," I said pointing at them. "And just sleeping, no fooling around," I joked. The couple immediately blushed.

"Percy," Allie smirked.

"Bed," I jokingly commanded.

Allie spun around in her chair and held up her arms in a dramatic fashion. "Carry me?" She asked her fiancé.

He rolled his eyes but smiled. He leaned down and picked her up. "Anything for my queen," and planted a kiss on her cheek as they headed out.

Annabeth sighed and sat down where Allie had been sitting. She was already becoming lost in the work.

"Uh oh," I smirked and made my way over the table. "Wise girl, I'm not going to lose you in this mess too, am I?"

"Of course, not Seaweed Brain," she replied. "I'm just giving Allie some reassurance while she's out."

"Sure, so I'll see you later in bed?" I questioned.

But Annabeth was already lost in the papers. And no, I did not see her in bed later that night. I debated on whether or not I should go see her but knew it would do no good. Even if I talked to her, she wouldn't even acknowledge me if she was in a groove.

I woke up the next day and headed down to the library. Once I got there, it was what I had been expecting. Annabeth was still there from the night before. Her hair was now up in a pony tail and coffee cups littered the table as well. She was in work mode.

She hadn't even noticed I came in until I coughed. "Honey?" I asked.

Her eyes went wide when she saw me. "Oh, my gods Percy! Allie is a genius! Is she up yet? I need to talk to her." Annabeth spoke fast.

"Um, yeah, I can go check on her. Did you figure something out?" I asked confused.

Annabeth nodded. "I'll explain when they get here."

I hurried out, still slightly confused, to go find Jake and Allie. I arrived at their shared cabin near the woods. Annabeth had designed couple cabins for those who were of age and at a certain level of relationship. The no single boy and girl in the same cabin together rule still applied.

I cautiously knocked on the door, hoping Allie was already awake. It was around 10am and she had gone to bed around 6pm last night. That should be enough sleep for her.

Luckily, Allie swung open the door quick. "Percy!" she greeted.

Thank the gods, she looked so much better. She still had some wear and tear from before not sleeping, but overall, she was better.

"Allie, did you rest well?" I asked.

She nodded but crossed her arms. "Yes, and if you could tell Jake that I'm fine that would be great."

The next moment Jacob approached the front door. He grabbed Allie's waist and pulled her in for a kiss. "Love, I know you're fine, but a little bit longer of rest couldn't hurt."

"Jake, I need to go back," Allie protested.

"Actually," I chimed in. "Annabeth said she may have found something."

Allie's eyes lit up. "Then what are we doing here?" And she practically dragged us to the library.

We got situated and waited for Annabeth to give us her explanation. Allie was practically on the edge of her seat. She wanted answers.

"You had the right idea," Annabeth began. "I got all the information from your notes and books you pulled." Annabeth took a deep breath. "Do you know who Pallas and Styx are?"

Allie and Jake looked at each other. "Well, Styx from the underworld yes, but otherwise not really. Do they have a different Roman equivalent?" Jake asked.

"No, and that's probably what made them so hard to decipher," Annabeth began. "Pallas the titan fathered Nike, or victory, Kratos, or power, Bia, or might, and Zelus, or zeal with Styx. Based on the description of what you were looking up Allie, I think it's them."  
Allie's eyes scrunched up. "The four children?" she asked confused.

Annabeth nodded. "Yes, or at least some of them. Jacob, do you recognize any of the names?"

Jake sucked in a breath. "I, uh, no. They spoke mostly in Greek though."

"Do _Nike, Kratos, Bia,_ or _Zelus_ sound familiar?" Annabeth asked repeating the names in Greek.

Jake's face turned white and Allie noticed. She gulped and grabbed his arm. "Jake, what did you recognize?" she asked.

"The middle two," he repeated softly.

"Kratos and Bia," I said. "Power and might."

Annabeth nodded. "It makes sense. They served for Zeus many years but must have felt used, as most often do."

"They are recruiting demigods," Allie said in dismay. She rubbed her fiancé's arm. "And they are experimenting on them as well."

"They want more power," Jake said simply. We all stared at him. "That's what it is, right? That's what it always is. They were trying to use me, to gain power."

"Probably," Annabeth sighed. "They realized they needed demigods, but they must have been too fragile them. They used you to heal them."

"Because I'm a tool, an object," Jake said simply.

"Jake," Allie pleaded to her fiancé.

"No," he stated firmly. "I get it. They didn't want their soldiers to keep dying, so get one who can heal them." He was shaking.

"What are they trying to do? What's their end goal?" Allie asked.

"I think I can help with them," I jumped when I realized it was Rachel. "You four should come with me."

I hadn't seen Rachel in almost two years. She'd been at camp, but mostly during the year when I wasn't. I felt like she had been avoiding me, not answering my iris messages. Well now I would finally see her.

We followed her into the big house. She then led us to a back room. Allie broke the silence.

"Um sorry, I know I'm sort of new around here, but who are you?" She asked.

Rachel looked bewildered but smiled. "Sorry, I've been seeing so much of you I forgot we haven't been formally introduced. I'm Rachel."

"Seeing so much of me?" Allie asked wide-eyed.

"Yes, I'm the oracle here at camp," Rachel said plainly.

"Like Octavian was?" Jake shuddered.

Rachel laughed. "No, I'm a _real_ oracle, child of Apollo. I'm also mortal besides that. We can get into that later, first you need to take a look."

She opened the door to a back room and I was amazed. Nico and Reyna were already standing around in awe. The room was filled ceiling to floor of Rachel's paintings. They shocked me and the others as well. Allie's face was pure white.

They were paintings of our recent months and overall year. There was one with Allie standing holding a pregnancy test. There was one of her getting attacked when she was pregnant and Annabeth finding her. She was there holding Jayce. There was one of me holding Jayce and Allie passed out on the ground. Of Annabeth holding me in the days after. There were also many depictions of Jacob being tortured.

"Oh, my gods," I said out loud.

I could hear Rachel sigh. "This is why I haven't been answering your calls Percy. I knew things would be happening to you, so much. I wanted to stop it, but I knew my interference would only make things worse."

"How long did you know?" I asked staring at the painting of Jayce.

She didn't even need to ask what I was questioning. "I knew around 14 months before. You and Allie hadn't even been together yet. I couldn't very well say, 'I had a vision of you losing a son with some woman who's not Annabeth.'"  
"But you knew?" I asked.

"Percy, she couldn't say anything. You couldn't know." Annabeth said defending her.

I felt betrayed, but also knew it was for the best. Rachel was right, if I had known, things may have gone in a different direction. As much as I felt betrayed, I had to accept what happened.

"You guys couldn't have known then, but now I think you do," Rachel said plainly. She went over to the other side of the room and pulled back a purple cloth to reveal more paintings.

The paintings were not promising. They displayed death and destruction. Pictures of Annabeth, Jacob, Reyna, Nico, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Will, and I scattered the scenes. There was one where Reyna had an arm missing. Another, Annabeth laid on the ground covered in blood.

"You've been seeing this?" Reyna asked.

Rachel nodded. "The visions have been coming, but I haven't been able to tell you guys. That is until now. You've identified Bia and Kratos, and I can confirm they are the cause of this all."

"So, what now?" I asked. Everyone turned towards me. I could feel the anger bubbling up in me, but I couldn't help it. "For months and months, you've known our lives would be miserable, and we couldn't do anything about it. What makes now different?"

Rachel surprisingly kept her calm. "Now, the stakes are higher. If this," she gestured around to the paintings, "actually happens, it could be the end of our camps. It's going to be catastrophic."

"Okay, then what do we do?" I asked.

"What's missing?" Rachel asked.

I turned to the paintings and couldn't find it immediately. What was missing? Our happiness's, our lives, what wasn't missing? But then I heard a great sigh next to me.

"It's me," Allie said quietly.

"What?" I asked, confused as to what she meant.

"It's me," she repeated. "I'm what is missing from these paintings. All of you are there, all of you expect me."

"Why aren't you in it?" Jake immediately asked.

Allie gulped. "I'm not," she looked at Rachel and seemed to plead with her.

Rachel's eyes went wide. "Oh, my gods, no. In these images, you're fine."

Allie let out a sigh. "But why aren't I helping? I could help."  
"Absolutely not," Jake responded. Allie crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow at him. "This isn't your fight. You've been through so much, just stay here where you're safe."  
"Because of that," Rachel said. "You stay at camp while the others go out. In this depiction, Jake and Percy convince you to stay behind."

Allie gulped and ran her hands over one painting where Jake and I were injured. "But we need to change this outcome."

"Yes, which means," Rachel said.

"Allie needs to go into the fight," Annabeth finished.

"Allie needs to go into the middle of the fight, before any of us," Rachel added.

Allie turned to both of them. "What do you need me to do?"

"Absolutely not," this time it was mine turn to burst out. "You can't go into the middle of the fight. You're just a mortal."  
"Just a mortal?" she fought back.

"She's trained at Camp Jupiter. We never let her go out into the field, but that didn't mean she couldn't have," Reyna defended her.

"That's what will make her an asset," Rachel continued. "Bia and Kratos are impressed by demigods with special powers. What would they think of a demigod presenting as a mortal? One who monsters can't smell and is impervious to imperial gold?"

"But that just makes her mortal!" I protested.

"Not with her tattoo," Rachel added.

Reyna nodded. "The legion doesn't give out tattoos to mortals, Allie's the only one and they don't know that. Legacies, yes, but Allie knows more things."

Allie rubbed her tattoo. "You want to send me in as a demigod? Like a spy?"

"Yes," Rachel said. "It's simple. You go in, become one of them. Once you have enough data report back and we can use it to formulate a plan of attack."

"It could work," Annabeth added. "We just need to make sure you're training is on par."

Allie smiled. "I mean, I was no Jason or Reyna, but I could fight."

"Annabeth and I can train you to make sure you're ready," Reyna added in.

"I'll keep track of things back here and can travel to where you are quickly if necessary," Nico added.

Wow, how come everyone seemed to be okay with this plan? She was a mortal. A mortal! And they wanted to send her into the center of the storm.

"Jake," Allie piped out. "you've been silent this whole time. What do you think?"

It took a moment for Jake to respond. "I don't like it," he said plainly. "But, if it's necessary," he shook his head and leaned into his fiancé. "Allie, I really don't like this," we could all see tears forming in his eyes.

"Jake," Allie sighed and grabbed his face. "I'll be careful, I promise. If I don't, look what could, what _will_ happen. This will happen to our friends, to you."

Jake kissed his fiancé's head. "She'll need to change her appearance a bit. They knew what Allie looked like, at least the hair and eye color. She'll need to pick a hair color to match whatever god she's the child of."

I sighed. We were really going to allow her to do this. How could we all be okay with this?

"It can't be any of the big three, she doesn't have the power to back it up," Nico commented.

"Or a god with specific powers, she can't be a daughter of Apollo and not have music, archery, or healing abilities." Reyna said.

"So, a god whose offspring has no specific powers?" I asked.

"How about Athena?" Annabeth said.

"What?" I asked Annabeth.

"My siblings and I have no specific powers except our intelligence and you could pull it off," Annabeth said.

Allie shook her head. "There's no way I could pull it off. You are way too smart. I couldn't fake it. Plus, why would a Greek goddess have a child at a Roman camp?"

But Reyna was nodding. "No, Allie, you could pull it off. Annabeth's right, you are smart. All you need is to dye your hair. And that could add to the grandeur. The reason you don't have a patronage on your tattoo is because you were wrongfully put into the Roman camp when it should have been the Greek one."

Allie sighed. "Okay, but you all have to help me. Especially you Annabeth, if I'm going to pretend to be an estranged daughter of Athena."

"Let's begin," Annabeth stated.

The next four weeks, we trained Allie to go out in the field. And Reyna was right, she was pretty good. It took her a while to get the rust off, but once she did, she could fight. Her weapon of choice was a smaller sword, or of a long dagger if you looked at it that way. She could wield her weapon well.

Allie had also dyed her hair. Annabeth was helping Piper dye Allie's hair. I waited outside with Jacob. When Allie walked out, Jake's mouth dropped.

Allie spun around and her newly blonde hair whooshed through the air. "How do I look?"  
"Beautiful as always," Jake smiled. "But it does look weird."

Annabeth added, "She looks like she could be my sister, right?"

I nodded in awe. "Yes."

And now was the day Allie was leaving for her quest. Or I guess more of spy mission, however you wanted to put it. She hair her blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail and a small backpack slung across her shoulder.

I approached as Annabeth said, "Okay, let's go over it one more time."

Allie rolled her eyes but played along. "I'm a child of Athena, but I hate my mother. I got to Camp Jupiter when I was 12 and never got claimed, making me more resentful. I'm a demigod who presents as mortal, I can't be hurt by any immortal metal and I don't smell to monsters. Camp Jupiter exploited it. I pulled back from camp before the knowledge of the Greek camp came along. Once they did, I resented the fact I ended up in the wrong place and kept feeling used. Eventually I heard of a group where they took in demigods who were special, and I sought them out. How's that?"

"Perfect," Annabeth sighed. Then unexpectedly gave her a hug, "Just be careful, okay?"

Allie returned the hug. "Of course."

I approached Allie. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

She nodded. "Positive," I opened my mouth, but Allie interrupted me, "and yes, I'll be careful!"  
"Just checking," I added.

She reached up and gave me a hug. She prolonged it and whispered in my ear, "If anything happens to me," but I cut her off.

"Nothing will happen to you," I urged.

"If," she continued. "If something does, please make sure Jake is okay. I don't know what will happen if I don't come back, but I know it won't be good."  
"I, I will," I said, and she pulled back.

She then proceeded to take off her engagement ring and give it to her fiancé. "We've already said our goodbyes, but please hold on to this for me?"

I could tell Jake was on the verge of tears. All he did was nod and take the engagement ring. Then Allie gave her a fiancé a passionate kiss.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too," Jake choked out.

Allie took a deep breath. "Okay, Nico, let's go."

He nodded, took her hand, and shadow travelled out. I turned and saw Jake was still staring at the spot Allie had just been in. He had her ring in a death grip.

"She'll be fine, I know she will," Annabeth told Jake and I.

"I hope so," I added.


	10. Chapter 10

Allie POV  
I was currently sitting in a bar. This really wasn't my scene. Yes, I had gone to bars with Percy before, but not this one and not like this. It wasn't really a mortal bar.

All around me, there were monsters. Surprisingly, they hadn't attacked right away. Maybe because they sensed I wasn't a demigod; maybe they had been ordered to stand down. There were also humans spread throughout the bar. No one seemed to notice anything was off. Either they were heavily obscured by the mist or they were demigods who worked with the monsters and weren't bothered by them. We were about to find out how my mission would go.

A dark-skinned man sat down next to me at the bar. "Two beers," he said to the bartender. "One for me and one for the lady."

I stiffened a little, it was now or never. "Why would you assume I would want one?"

The man shrugged. "Why would you come to a bar?"

"Touché," I said and accepted the drink. Beer wasn't really my thing, but I tried to down it the best I could.

"So, what makes a pretty blonde like you come to the desert?" the man asked.

I took a gulp of beer, for a moment I almost forgot that I was now indeed a blonde. "I was looking for some people."  
He raised his eyebrow and lowered his voice. "What kind of people were you looking for?"

His temperament and attitude told me what I needed to know. This man was definitely the point man, the one in charge. He was evidently also a demigod.

"People who are special," I said plainly.

"Oh, how so?"

I lowered my voice. "People who know that this bar isn't so friendly as it may seem to mere mortals."

He straightened up a bit. "You're a demigod?" he wondered.

I nodded although inside I was shaking. I had never had to pretend I was a demigod before, in fact I fully embraced I was not, but now was different. "And you're wondering why the monsters didn't freak out when I walked in?"

He shifted. "They should have smelled you, brought you in the minute you walked through those doors."

"What if I'm a demigod with mortal properties? Monsters can't smell me, and I can't be hurt by immortal metal?" I supplied.

"I would say that's impossible, that would make you mortal," the man argued.

I pulled up my sleeve, so it showed my legion tattoo. The man gasped a little in surprise. "A roman?" he asked cautiously.

I shook my head. "No, somehow I was placed in the wrong camp. Never claimed and got exploited. When the two camps converged, it was too late. My mother claimed me, but I knew she didn't want me. I turned away from the gods."

"Who's your mother?" he asked.

"Athena," I said slowly, hoping she wouldn't crush me for lying about her.

The man stuck out his hand. "Nikolas, son of Ares."

"Maya, daughter of Athena." I said.

"We don't have many Romans in our ranks Maya," Nikolas said.

"Oh?" I asked. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"Not at all," he smiled. "It'll make you an asset. Kratos and Bia will be impressed."

"The titans?" I questioned trying to sound minimally shocked.

"Yes, is that going to be a problem?"

I shook my head. "Of course not, I just know they got defeated a few years ago. What makes Bia and Kratos any different?"

He smirked. "Because they have us. Come on, I'll introduce you to the gang. Don't worry about covering the tab once you're with us you'll be ruling this place."

I followed Nikolas into the back of the bar. He opened the door to the back-parking lot. There waiting was a motorcycle. It was bright red and flashy. Perfect for a son of Ares.

"I didn't expect to be taking home someone else back with me, so you'll have to ride behind me," he stated.

Nikolas slide on the bike and I behind him. I awkwardly grabbed the sides of the bike not knowing where to hold on. Nikolas laughed in front of me.

"Grab on to me hun, or else you'll fall off," he smirked. Ugh, I really didn't want to, but I guess I had to. "Don't worry, I won't bite. At least, not yet." He winked, and I had to resist the urge to gag.

It was moments like these that I was glad to have Jacob. A man who treated me well and loved me dearly. One who wasn't disgusting and only hit on me in romantic ways. I was also grateful that we were engaged, I was off the market. Not that Nikolas would know any differently.

I slid on the back of the motorcycle and hung on tight. Nikolas speed through the streets, but it wasn't a problem. Everything was abandoned. There would no fun stopping him from speeding.

We eventually made it to an oasis. It was a bright white mansion in the middle of the desert. It was odd to see, but no unexpected. The titans had been used to Olympus, they wanted an earthly equivalent.

Nikolas parked the bike and I followed him inside. He began to speak. "Bia and Kratos are out, and ultimately they will have the final decision. In the meantime, I'll introduce you to the rest of the group. They are waiting inside."

I followed Nikolas inside. The inside was as impressive as the out. It was gilded with gold and white marble. I had never been to Mount Olympus, being a mortal and all, but from what Percy and Annabeth described it must look like this, just scaled.

We walked in and Nikolas pressed a button on the wall, like a loudspeaker. "Everyone meets in the common room. We have a little guest."

I continued to follow Nikolas inside. Surprisingly, it appeared we were the last ones in the common room even though it was called only moments earlier. Inside, there were many faces staring back at me.

"Everyone, please introduce themselves," the son of Ares smiled. "And don't leave out your special abilities."  
"I'm Agnes, daughter of Iris," she said. "I can basically manipulate Iris Messaging to see anywhere I want without them accepting."

"Yeah, yeah," a man interrupted. "I'm Derrek, son of Hephaestus. I can control fire."

I flinched a little. "Isn't there another demigod who can do that?" I asked thinking of Leo Valdez. Percy had mentioned his powers briefly.

Derrek shrugged. "Yeah, but I do it better."

"I'm Sofia, daughter of Venus," a young twenty-year-old said.

"Venus? As in the Roman goddess?" I questioned.

She smirked. "Unfortunately, but I didn't last long at that camp. See, I can make people fall hopelessly in love, well not really love more like an infatuation, with each other."

"I'm Erin, daughter of Hypnos. And yes, I can make people pass out at will," a girl probably in her late teens said.

"I'm Zach, son of Zeus," a teenager said.

I flinched. "You're a child of one of the big three?" I asked.

He smiled. "Surprised?" I didn't respond. "But yes, I am. I don't really have any powers outside of a typical Zeus's child, but that helps a lot."

"Hey, don't exclude me." Another man said. "Smith, son of Hades. I can trick souls to present as dead, or alive if I want."

That's how Nico didn't know Jake wasn't really dead. Smith manipulated his soul. Weird.

"I'm Daphne, daughter of Apollo," a shy brown-haired girl spoke.

"She's our resident seer," Nikolas said.

"Seer?" I asked confused. "Like an oracle?"

He scoffed. "Not exactly. She can see a person's life. Who they are, who they love, and what their true intentions are."

That must have been how Bia and Kratos knew who people Jake loved looked like. They used this young girl to see me. That could be a problem.

"And I'm Andrea, also daughter of Apollo," the girl standing in the corner spoke.

I tried to hide my shock. This was the girl Jake had been talking about. The one whose mother had resembled me. Wow, she had been alive all this time.

"And what's your ability?" I coxed.

"Nothing," she retorted back. "I was kidnapped when I was younger and now I'm stuck here," she retorted back.

"Oh," was my only response.

"And you are?" Andrea asked.

"I'm Maya, daughter of Ath-," but Nikolas cut me off.

"Honey, let Daphne introduce you. She can see where your true intentions lie." He stated.

I silently gulped. Wow, I was done for. I wouldn't even make it to meet Kratos and Bia, this girl was going to ruin it for me. But that's when I noticed her temperament was off. Daphne wasn't confident immediately, she was shaking.

"That's Maya, daughter of Athena." She began. I tried to hide my surprise but let her continue. "She was in Camp Jupiter for many years, even earned herself a tattoo."

I pulled up my sleeve to reveal my burn. "More like a brand," I commented to try and show my distaste.

"She resented her mother for never claiming her, that was until Maya learned she was Greek. And she really hated the Greek camp. Didn't last long there," she looked at me for approval and I nodded to her in encouragement. Why was she telling my false story?

"Her powers are she presents as mortal," Daphne continued. "Monsters can't smell her, and celestial bronze and imperial gold don't cut her. But she's a demigod, I can tell."

I knew it was a possibility, but I was still slightly surprised when a golden sword swung threw my body. It wasn't the first time I had been attacked with a godly weapon. I was able to go through a few war games at Camp Jupiter and survived a few swings. That was until I was thrown against a wall and broke my arm. I refused to let Jake heal it, that was until one night it miraculously healed itself (later another camper confessed she saw Jake heal it while I was sleeping).

However, there was still a collective gasp in the room. A true demigod would not have survived that swing. Good thing I wasn't a demigod.

Nikolas pulled the sword back. "Well, you really are telling the truth."

I raised my eyebrow. "I have no reason to lie." Actually, I did. I literally had _all_ the reason to lie, but they didn't know that. Well, except Daphne. I had to figure what her situation was. "Now, when can I met Kratos and Bia?"

"They aren't due back until the end of the week," Andrea said. "So, we'll keep you around until then. See if your training holds up. But you'll need a place to sleep."

"She can stay with me," Daphne piped in. Everyone stared at her in awe. "What?" she defended. "I can want someone to stay with me. I have an extra bed."

Andrea held her hands up in defense. "You just never have before. But whatever, I don't object. It's time for bed anyway. We can test you more in the morning." Great, I thought I had already passed all their tests.

Daphne got up. "Follow me."

I got up and trailed behind her back to her room. I wanted to ask her so many questions, but I got the feeling she would tell me in due time. Daphne shut the door behind her and locked it. I jumped slightly at the click. She gestured to two chairs by the window.

I followed and sat opposite of her. "I'm assuming you have many questions," she commented.

I nodded and bit my lip. "You have to know who I am."

Daphne nodded. "You're not Maya, you're Allison Andrews. You're a mortal."

My face dropped in disbelief. "Why did you lie for me?"

"Jacob Scheper," she said plainly.

"Jake?" I asked about my fiancé.

"The others don't know it, but I knew you looked vaguely familiar. It was from Jacob, I had seen you before."  
"And then you told the others, so you could find people to torture so he would save them?" I asked frustrated.

Daphne nodded. "I remembered you from that, but also your pure love for Jacob. I can see him in your mind right now."

I don't know why, but I blushed. Could this young girl see my love for Jacob? What shape did that take in her mind?  
"But still why? I know Jake was here, but he never interacted with you. He wasn't part of your gang," I added.

She shook her head. "He wasn't, but I did know him," she said tapping her head. "One day there was an attack; I was injured badly. He saved my life. While I was recovering, I got a deeper sense of who he was. Who he loved and his true intentions. He has a good heart, unlike most people."

"And what about me?" I asked. "Where does my heart lie?"  
"You have been hurt more than most people have," she began. "With the titan war, your fiancé and your child's death," I instinctively placed my hand on my barren abdomen, "But somehow you still want to protect this world, save it."

I nodded slowly. "And you, what do you want?"

She gulped. "I wanted to save the world. I had always thought that was with Bia and Kratos, but I'm not so sure. They hurt people."

"How about you help me?" I said instantly.

"Help, help you?" she asked confused.

"You know who I am, right?" she nodded slowly. "Can you see I'm part of the good guys? My friends, people I love, are all the good guys."

"But," Daphne whimpered. "They hurt you. You almost died because of them, because of the gods. They took your fiancé away. Your child died because of a monster. Don't you hate them?"

Her question was so innocent, yet it held so much weight. Didn't I hate them? Looking at my life from the outside, it might have looked that way. But I didn't.

I smiled. "No, I don't. Can't you tell my relationships? I have been given so many people. Percy, Reyna, Nico, Will, Annabeth and so many others. I got Jake back. Even the ones who have passed, Jason and Jayce, I still had them in my life."

"You're so pure," Daphne commented. "You really want to help me?"

I nodded. "But you are going to help me too. You can go in on our plan. Do you think you can keep playing along? I need to get information, so I can send it back to my friends."  
"I can," she smiled.

"Okay, well then," but then a voice called from below and Daphne's face paled.

"Bia and Kratos are here," she said.

 **Sorry for taking so long for an update! I've been very busy with school and working on my first novel! I've had this written for a while. I know it's short, but I needed to get it out there so I can add on to new chapters. Let me know what you thing and if you have any predictions what will happen next!**


	11. Chapter 11

Allie POV

I was down back in the common room with the rest of the demigods. They were all standing in a straight line. I joined their ranks, standing on the far end next to Daphne. Everyone seemed slightly tense. As much as they praised the Titans, there was some concern in the room.

"You said you weren't coming back until the end of the week," Nikolas commented.

"We heard there was a commotion and had to come back to check it out," A tall woman growled.

It had to be Bia. She stood tall and had a green tint to her skin. Her hair was long and unmanaged. It also felt her force. As she approached me, I could almost feel her power overwhelming me.

Standing next to her was Kratos. He stood taller and I could feel his evil flowing through the room. He led by fear, and I could feel it. These demigods who had been so aggressive before were practically shrinking now in his presence.

"The new demigod, step forward," Kratos ordered.

I gulped and took a step out of the line. I had been able to lie to these demigods, but could I fool the titans as well?

"Maya, daughter of Athena," Bia hissed.

I raised an eyebrow and held my composure. "Yes, though I prefer to ignore my mother's title if I can."

Kratos walked over in front of me as well. I had to crane my neck to look at his head. "You don't like your mother?"

My scowl showed it all. "Who could like a goddess?" but as I said it, I silently prayed for Athena to not smit me. Hopefully, Annabeth spoke to her mother about my situation.

Bia yanked my arm up. I tried not to groan, but it wasn't the kindest gesture. She rolled up my sleeve to reveal my tattoo. "And a tattoo? How did you manage that?"

I gulped. "I almost died in the Titan war, my survival indicated it." I could almost feel my scar burn as I spoke.

"You fought against the Titans?" She said as she released my arm.

"Unwillingly," I continued. "You can't go against the legion unless you want to be murdered."

"Why not join the Titans during that war?" Kratos urged.

I sighed. This was something Annabeth and I had worked up if I had been asked that question. I never intended to use it, but I had to. "There was someone I cared about fighting with the legion."

"Another Roman?" Bia inquired.

"Yes," I said. I tried to remember back to the pain of losing Jake. This had to seem real. "But, he didn't make it," I choked out. I turned angry and resentful. "He died because of the gods. Nothing they can do will ever make it right again."

Bia and Kratos just smiled at each other. I had sold it. That disdain for the gods showed I would do anything against them.

"Welcome aboard." They commented.

The next month was hell. I had to become acquainted with these people. I never participated in anything too gruesome, but I knew the others did. The way they talked about their activities outside of the mansion, it made me sick.

However, through all of this, I was learning. They all had strengths, but weaknesses as well. The only person I hadn't been able to crack was Andrea. She barely showed herself and I was never able to get a read on her. If I didn't soon, she could be the downfall to this whole plan.

Another disgusting development, Nikolas and I had started "dating". I was so appalled at it first, but there was nothing I could do to object to it. I had tried to use the "dead boyfriend" excuse, but that didn't faze him. Eventually, I agreed. Thankfully, I didn't see him much, but I still hated it anytime he wrapped his arm around me or gave me a vicious kiss.

The worst part of all of this was missing Jake and the rest of my friends. I couldn't risk an Iris Message as Agnes could manipulate them. I've seen her multiple times use that to capture unsuspecting demigods and knowing their location. Or she just watches them get eaten by monsters. I shudder every time.

But now after a month, being away from Jake was unbearable. We had gotten so close in these last few months and I felt odd without my engagement ring on my finger. I just wanted him to sweep me up in his arms and kiss me. Over and over again.

I was lost in thought when Daphne snapped her fingers in front of my face. I blinked and got out of my daze.

"Huh? What?" I asked slowly.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Daydreaming again? Bia and Kratos are back and they've called a meeting."

I took an intake of breath. Ever since first meeting them a month ago, I had only encountered Bia and Kratos once. And that was just to dismiss me and the send the others on a quest. Daphne didn't give many details but said it was a slaughter. Nikolas came back covered in blood. He gave me an aggressive kiss after that and transferred the blood on me. I didn't feel clean for days.

I followed Daphne down. "And they want me this time?"

Daphne nodded solemnly. "Unfortunately, yes."

I followed her down to the common room. As usual, everyone was already gathered down there waiting. Bia and Kratos were standing in the corner with scowls on their faces.

"The Athena one," Bia called out.

I clenched my jaw playing my part. "Would you stop calling me that? I have a name, one that does not associate with my mother."

"Maya," Kratos lulled. "We have a job for you."  
I gulped but tried to hide my dismay. "Finally, I'm tired of being stuck in this house. What is it?"

"There's an event tonight, a gala of sorts," Bia paused. "It's for a company a demigod works for."

"And what do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Kill him," Derrek announced. My eyes widened.

"In an ideal world, yes. But we really just want you to send him a message." Bia continued. "You need to show him and all his friends that we can get to them, no matter what their powers."  
I raised my eyebrow. "Okay, so what do you want me to do?"

"His wife, she's with child. We want you to attack her, not bad enough to harm the child but enough." Bia finished.

My stomach lurched. "You want me to hurt a pregnant lady? Why not just attack the demigod himself?"

"Unless you want to be burned, I'd suggest you not," Derrek said.

Leo. Oh, gods. They wanted me to go to a party with Leo and hurt Calypso. Over my dead body would I ever do that.

I shook my head. "I didn't share it before, but the Roman I was with, I was expecting a child with him but lost the baby during the battle. I can't attack another woman."  
Bia shrugged. "Then attack him. Honestly, I don't care how you do it, just send a message."

"Why not the others?" I asked softly.

"They could be detected if they've set up any traps. Leo Valdez is very handy and I'm sure he's set extra precautions to protect his wife and unborn child. A demigod presenting as a mortal wouldn't set off those traps."

I gulped again. "So, go to this gala and shake up either Leo or his wife?"

"Exactly," Bia confirmed.

So later that night, I was at a gala in Texas. I wore a long grey tulle ground to match my grey eyes (thanks to colored contacts). I had already decided that I wasn't going to hurt Calypso, so that meant I had to mess with Leo. And I had to do this without causing suspicion from the Titans. This would be interesting.

I grabbed a glass of champagne and flowed through the crowd. I gave slight nods and smile to all the passersby, but I had yet to find my target. That's when I saw a round belly in the crowd. Hades, it was Calypso. My best bet would be to ask her where Leo was.

I glided over to her. I very gently rested my dagger against her hip in case they were watching. She let out a slight gasp and her face contorted when she saw me.

"Allie?" she questioned. "Oh, my gods. Why are you here? And why are you holding a knife against me?"

"Just relax," I said softly. "I swear I won't hurt you. I'd never, especially with," I trailed off and eyed her baby bump.

She sighed softly. "Allie."  
"It's fine, really. I need to make this quick. Just act scared," I paused as she set her face to scared. "I was sent here to shake you guys up. To show you aren't safe. I swore I wouldn't hurt you, but that was their plan. Gods, if they hadn't sent me for this," I trailed off again. If they hadn't sent me, one of the others would have hurt Calypso or worse. I shuddered just thinking about it. "But I have to talk to Leo. Preferably somewhere secure, so they can't hear or see us. Can you let him know?"

She nodded. "Just please be careful. I know Percy is worried about you and don't get me started on Jake."

I shut my eyes to hold back my tears. "Please, just get Leo."

She rushed off and I began mingling around again. Around ten minutes later, I saw Leo searching the crowd until his eyes landed on me. We locked eyes and he headed into a nearby door. I held my dagger ready and followed quickly behind. I locked the door behind me once I entered in.

"Leo," I said smiling. "I know we don't know each other too well, but I'm glad to see a familiar face," I slipped my dagger back underneath my dress.

Surprisingly, he engulfed me into a hug. "That's from your fiancé and BFF," his smile softened. "Allie, what's going on? Why are you here? Are you okay?"  
I shook my head. "Leo, it's awful there. They come back from missions covered in blood. I've found most of their weaknesses, but they are all so powerful besides the fact. And they don't care about what they do or who they hurt." I shuddered. "And now they are expecting me to do the same."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"They sent me here to hurt Calypso," I began, and Leo's jaw tightened. "But of course, I would never. They want me to shake you up. And I don't want to hurt you, Leo, I can't. Yet somehow, I need them to trust me."

"I see your wheels turning, what did you have in mind?" he asked slightly concerned.

"I need you to burn me," I said.

His eyes went wide. "There's no way in Hades I would ever do that. Your fiancé would kill me and I'm sure Percy would do the same."

I shook my head. "You have you. Preferably, look like I got a few swings in, but nothing that a little ambrosia can't fix."

Leo shook his head. "But Allie, ambrosia won't fix you. What happens when you get backed with burns and they try to heal you?"  
I gulped. "Daphne, she's one of the demigods there, but a good one, she can help. She'll take me back to our room and there," I bit my lip. "Let Nico know to bring Percy. He's mentioned he's getting better at his water healing powers. He can fix me up."

"Um, I'd hate to remind you, but isn't your fiancé the healer one?" Leo asked.

"He can't. If he sees me like that, he'll want me out immediately."

"And Percy won't?"  
I shrugged. "At first, of course, he will. But he'll understand, I'm counting on it."

"If only you're sure," Leo gulped.

I held out my arms. "Burn me up."

Percy POV

I swung at another dummy and knocked its head. After all these years you'd think we would get more sustainable dummies.

"You trying to kill all of the camp's dummies, seaweed brain?" Annabeth asked.

I smiled and turned around to my girlfriend. "No, just a few."

Annabeth wrapped her arms around me. "Are you doing okay?"  
I sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine, why?"  
"Percy," Annabeth turned around, so she was facing me. "I know you miss Allie. It's okay, you can tell me."

I sighed, defeated. "I know she can handle herself, I just never pictured her as part of my world, and now she's out on the frontlines and I'm just here."

Annabeth let out a sad smile. "I know it's hard for you, but Percy, I can think of another person who's having a really hard time with it."

I took a sharp breath in. "Jake. I know, it's just always weird being around him. When I'm with him, I feel like I don't really know who Allie is. He makes me feel inferior."

Annabeth laughed. "Percy, that's okay. He should, he's her fiancé. They've known each other since they were twelve."

"Like us," I smiled and gave her a light peck.

She rolled her eyes. "Jake's in the archery range. And Percy? He's really great, just get to know him more."

I sighed but obliged. I headed off to the archery range where Jake was firing off near perfect shots. Another thing he was perfect at and I wasn't. I know it sounds like I'm jealous of him, and to an extent I sort of am. I love Allie, not romantically, but in a deep friendship. It feels like he stole her away, even though I know it was great for her.

He fired off another shot and then turned around. He let out a quick smile when he saw me and set down his bow. "Hey Percy, what brings you here?"

I sighed, not really knowing how to approach it. I rubbed the back of my neck. "I was just talking to Annabeth, and, uh." I sighed again. "Man, I know it sounds weird but Allie's one of my best friends, and I know you guys are together, so it must be way harder for you but," he cut me off.

"You miss her," he finished for me.

I nodded. "She's been gone for over a month and we've had no communication from her. I just wish I knew if she was alright."

Jake's smile faltered. He took a shaky breath. "I know. You don't know how much I wish I could just see her, even just hear her voice to tell me she's okay." He smiled. "Just to hold her in my arms again."

"Why did we let her go off to this quest in the first place?" I asked him.

He laughed. "It wasn't our choice, once Allie has her heart set on something, she'll do it."

"I know," I laughed lightly. I sighed thinking about what to say next. "And man, I know you've had a hard transition back. Do you maybe want to hang out today? I know you've been training a lot, as a distraction, I have too. But it may be nice just to be a person today."

Jake's shoulders instantly relaxed. "That, that actually sounds really nice. I'd like that Percy."

So, the next few hours we just walked around camp and talked. I actually really liked Jake, as Annabeth had predicted. He was down to Earth, and we were able to talk about things lightly. We both had pressures put onto us at camp and bonded over that.

"So, Allie refused to let you heal her?" I asked.

Jake nodded. "Yes, and like you know, she's stubborn. Even if she had a cut, all I wanted to do was make her feel better. One time she broke her arm in a war game and being a mortal, it would have taken a long time to heal. I sort of healed it in her sleep because I couldn't stand seeing her in pain."

"But doesn't it cause you immense pain?" I asked.

Jake shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I know Allie's told you, but I would die for her. During the battle at mount Orthros, when she was stabbed through with a spear," he paused. "It hurt so bad to see her like that, to know she was dying. It was probably the worst physical pain I've gone through healing her but losing her would have been more painful."

I nodded. "I get that. Annabeth fell into the edge of Tartarus. I couldn't pull both of us up, so I went with her."

Jake's eyes went wide. "You were in Tartarus?"

"Yeah, not a time I like to remember though. But like you said, the pain of losing her would have been too much. Tartarus was a piece of cake compared to what that would have been."

I looked off into the distance and saw Annabeth approaching. I hadn't even realized it was night time. Jake and I had talked all day. Annabeth came and gave me a peck on the cheek.

She then leaned in to whisper against my ear. "You need to go to the ocean. Like now, Percy." Her voice was so urgent, but she kept a calm composure. What was going on?

"Hey Jake," Annabeth put on a brave smile. "Could you show me some of your archery skills? I'm always wanting to learn more, even if archery isn't something I use often."  
"Um, yeah, okay," Jake said. "I had a good time today, Percy. We should do this more often."

"Totally," I said still curious what was needed by the ocean. Was there a monster? If so, why wasn't Annabeth off too?

Annabeth leaned into me one more time and pleaded with her eyes. "Hurry," she mumbled.

I started off to the beach. The urgency in Annabeth's voice came back to mind and I began to sprint there. Whatever it was, it was very important. Once I arrived, I realized how very important it was.

Sitting in the sand was Nico holding someone. Also, there was Leo standing nearby. What was he doing here? That's when I saw that the person on the ground had burn marks all up their arms.

"Leo, did you burn someone?" I asked.

"Percy, don't get mad. She was the one who asked me to do it. I tried to keep it controlled, but it needed to look bad," he finished.

As I approached, I realized that the girl had on a scorched dress. Her arms were covered in marks. I made it around her and realized who it was.

"Allie!" I called out and ran to meet her the rest of the way. My expression darkened. "What the Hades happened?"

"Percy," Allie managed back meekly. My heart melted. Her voice was so weak. "I told him to. I needed them to trust me, and they trust me now. The only problem is the ambrosia. Someone's covering for me back at the mansion, but I need to get healed."  
"I can go get Jake," I said beginning off.

"No," Allie called out. I stopped standing up. "You said you can help people with your water powers?" I nodded slowly. "Just heal me, please."  
"Allie," I said. "Jake will want to help you."  
"No," she emphasized again. "It'll hurt him. These burns were hell, Percy. I didn't go through them just to see Jake in pain because of them. Just heal me in the ocean and I'll be on my way. He can't know I was here."

"He misses you so much Al," I said.

Her smile dropped. "I know, Perce. I miss him too. But I'm so close to a breakthrough. They trust me now, I just need to get healed and go back."

Reluctantly, Nico, Leo, and I helped Allie into the ocean. She screamed out when her burned flesh hit the salt water. She quickly bit her lip as to not draw suspicion, but I could see blood pouring out. I had to work quickly.

I willed the sea to flow through my hands and onto her skin. Slowly, the water began to repair her broken skin. Her blistered flesh was healing. I could tell she was still in a large amount of pain, but a small sense of relief passed over as well. It was working.

It took five minutes to get her fully healed, but it was done. We helped her back out and I dried her off. She looked almost as good as new, only a slight pink tinge to her skin.  
"Percy, thank you." She said. "Like really, thank you. But I have to reiterate, to all of you, no one can tell Jake. I love him, but if he found out I got hurt, and this bad," she shook her head. "You just can't tell him."

"We won't," Nico said for us.

"Okay, now Nico, please bring me back," she said plainly.

"Wait, what?" I asked. "You were just hurt so bad; don't you want to stay?"

"I do," she insisted. "But I can't. I'll be back soon, permanently. I just need to finish this." She came and gave me a hug. "Bye Percy." And with that, she was off.

A moment later, Nico was back. He looked slightly exhausted from all the shadow traveling, but otherwise okay. I turned to Leo, who was looking pretty apologetic.

"Percy, we obviously need to talk," he began.

I nodded. "We do."

We decided to head back to the Poseidon cabin where Annabeth was already waiting for us. She stood up quickly from my bed and approached us.

"How's Allie?" she asked.

My jaw tightened, but thankfully Nico answered for me. "She's better, considering everything."

Leo stood off to the side, and I don't know what came over me. I charged at him screaming. He took a step back and Annabeth and Nico grabbed my arms holding me back.

"What the hell Leo?" I screamed.

Annabeth wrapped her arms around me. "Percy, you need to calm down. But yes, Leo, please tell."

He sighed. "It all happened so fast. I was at a work event when Calypso came up saying Allie was here. Of course, I was really confused but I found a secure location to talk. She explained how she had been charged with coming to shake me up. She said," Leo closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. "She said they had wanted her to hurt Calypso."

"Leo," Annabeth released her grip on me.

"She, of course, did not. Instead, she said something had to come from this, for them to trust her. It was all her idea, but she said if it looked like we had gotten into a fight, it would make them trust her."

"So, you charred her?" I asked.

Leo nodded. "I'm not happy about it, but she insisted. She said she would come back and you would heal her. Not a perfect plan, but a necessary one."

"Let's just hope this works," Annabeth mumbled.

Leo nodded. "Being burned is so painful, I can't even imagine her choosing to do that."

I gulped. "Thank you, for helping. But I'm just going to need some time. I can't think of Allie having to put herself in situations like that."

"Of course," and Leo and Nico left the room.

I sat on my bed, head in my hands. Annabeth came from behind and rubbed my back. "What are you thinking, Seaweed brain?"

I turned to my beautiful girlfriend. "I'm thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my arms. Even in Tartarus," I shivered slightly thinking of it, "we were together. I can't imagine being away from you. I think back to how you must have felt when Hera put me in camp Jupiter, and I can't imagine."

"Sometimes we have to do things, Percy. Even if our loved ones have to pay a price as well," she said.

I nodded. "But tonight, I'm going to show you how much I love you."

Annabeth blushed. "Percy."  
And that I did.

Allie POV

"You're back!" Daphne exclaimed.

I took a deep breath. My night had been in a whirlwind. "I am."

"And you're okay?" she questioned.

I smiled. "As much as I can be. Being burned isn't the most fun thing in the world."

She stared at me and I could tell she was using her powers. "You miss Jake. You were so close, and you didn't get to see him."

I sat on my bed. "I know. If I had, I could not have come back."

"But you saw Percy. You don't have the same connection with him as you do with Jake, but you do have a deep connection," she commented.

I nodded, "And now he is going to be even more worried about me."

Daphne was going to say something when our door opened and shut abruptly. In walked Andrea and she locked the door behind her.

"Show me your arms," she demanded very frantically.

I gulped. Her tone was off. I lifted them up. "They're a little pink, but not burned. Nothing a little ambrosia couldn't fix."

She dropped my arms. "Ambrosia didn't fix those."

I tried to keep my composure and I could tell Daphne was trying to read Andrea. "What do you mean?"

"The heal marks," she began. "They aren't from ambrosia. They would be ones from healing by water. Do you know a child of Poseidon?"

"What are you talking about?" I questioned.

"I know you aren't who you say you are. You're not a demigod."

 **Thank you for reading! Sorry, I haven't posted in a while, but I'm excited about this chapter. Please leave a review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Allie POV

"How did you know?" Daphne asked innocently.

Andrea shrugged. "You just don't fit the picture. There was always something off about you."

I gulped. I could lie, or, "You're right, I'm not a demigod."

Her eyes went wide. "I knew it!" She glanced down at my arm and hurried over. She picked it up. "So, what is this? Just a regular tattoo then? How do you know so much about the demigod world?"

I sighed. "Daphne, can we have the room?"

"Why can't I be here?" she asked defensively.

"You've already heard, or I guess saw, this. Let me just talk to Andrea alone," I insisted. Why was she being so pushy back?  
She huffed. "Fine, I'll go down and let everyone know you're okay, just resting."

"Thank you," I said as Daphne unlocked the door and left.

Andrea shifted. "So, are you going to tell me?"

My nerves increased. This girl was going to find out _I_ was the reason she was here in the first place. How would she take it?

I sat on my bed and reached under my pillow. There I had hidden a picture of Jake and me. I muttered _reveal_ in Latin and the picture shown itself to outsiders, Andrea. I waved only the part of me, so Jake wasn't showing yet. I wanted her to react to me before I showed off my fiancé. I patted the bed next to me. Andrea cautiously sat down. I handed her the picture.

"That's me," I began. "The real me. Without the hair dye and contacts."

"You look just like my mother," Andrea said in awe and confusion.

"I know," I said calmly.

She bit her lip processing the information but moved on from the topic. "And the tattoo?" she questioned. I forget sometimes this girl wasn't even a teenager yet.

"No," I added. "The tattoo's real."

"But you're mortal?"

I nodded. "I am." I gulped and swiped my hand over the other part of the picture. Andrea's eyes went wide. "And that's my fiancé, Jake."

"I," she paused. "I know him. He's your fiancé?"

I nodded. "We met when we were twelve and he brought me to camp Jupiter, even though I was mortal. It took some convincing, but they let me stay. We were inseparable ever since."

"But he was here," she cocked her head and turned to me. "He was here when I was younger. They hurt my mom and this other woman and made him heal them."

"Jake has special powers for a child of Apollo. He can heal himself and others, but with much pain."

"They killed the woman because Jake refused to heal someone. He tried to heal my mom, but he couldn't, and she died. I never saw him after that, I assumed he died as well."

I shook my head. "He gave in after that. He knew that they would hurt you next, and he couldn't have that."

I saw tears forming in her eyes. "He was always so nice to me, even through it all." She sniffed. "But why are you here?"

I took a deep breath. "There's been signs that in the near future, Bia and Kratos will destroy Camp Half-blood and Camp Jupiter. We needed to change that future."

"And you had to?"

I nodded. "In that future, my fiancé and my friend Percy convinced me to stay behind since I wasn't a demigod. So, since I had stayed behind, in order to change it, I had to charge ahead."

"So, you're risking your life for them?" she asked softly.

"They're my family." I smiled. "I couldn't sit back and do nothing once I knew I could be the only thing saving their lives."

"But you could die! What about your friends and family losing you?"

"I know," I said softly. "My fiancé knows that, as does the rest of my friends. I just went through a loss, so I know what I would be doing to them if anything happened to me, so I'm not going to let anything happen."

"What happened?" She asked and I took an intake of breath. Her eyes went wide. "You don't have to say it. It's just weird, I never really got to go through a true loss with my mom's death."

"It's okay honey," I had to keep reminding myself that this girl who seemed so mature at sometimes was still young. She was the age I was when I got to Camp Jupiter. "Well, when Jake was captured, I thought he died. But probably like you with your mom, I never really felt it." She kept staring at me. "But recently, I was pregnant and my son, Jayce, died. There was a monster attack and I went into preterm labor. We were stuck in a cave and couldn't get out in time to save him."

"I'm, I'm so sorry," she huffed. "How are you still here, in this world?"

"I was depressed for a few weeks, but then Jake came back and helped me heal."

"I want that," she paused. "I want a family. Ever since my mom died, even with all these people, I'm all alone."  
"Do you want to go to camp?" I asked. She turned her head. "Camp was, is my family."

She nodded tears in her eyes. "I do." I sighed. This poor girl, all she wanted was to belong, yet she belonged to something bigger at the moment.

"Okay, but we have two options. I can send you back now," I began. "It's what I want for you. But."  
"What's the second option?" she asked in her mature voice again.

"I came here to get intel, about what Bia and Kratos are doing. You disappearing would draw suspicion. If you could hold on a few more weeks, you can come back to camp in a few weeks with me."

She paused. "I'll wait."

"Really?"

Andrea nodded. "Jake was really nice to me, even when they were hurting him. If your friends are anything like him, I want them to be protected. I want to help."  
I let out a sigh I had been holding. "Thank you, Andrea. And I'm here for you, whatever you need."

"There is one thing," she gave me a side glance.

"What?"

"Come room with me," she said. "I don't trust Daphne."

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "I just have this feeling. Please?"

"Okay, I will." Andrea's immediate dismissal of Daphne should maybe have drawn suspicion of Andrea, but it didn't. Andrea was so real immediately and still a child, but she had this intuition. I trusted her, more than I trusted Daphne.

I unlocked the door and grabbed the little belongings I had. I whispered onto the photograph and it turned blank to the naked eye. I finished grabbing my stuff and transferred it to Andrea's room.

Part of me had almost wished she had said she wanted to go to camp. I felt responsible for this girl, just as Jake had before. I wanted her to be safe and be with a family. She had other siblings at camp. I'm sure Jake would have been grateful to know the little girl he had seen during his time of torture was okay.

I finished setting my stuff down, and Andrea had her eyes on my back the whole time. She cleared her throat once I was done. I turned around.

"We should probably go downstairs. Bia and Kratos will want to see you," she said. But, did her voice shake a little?

"Andrea, are you scared of them?" I asked.

She shrunk into herself. She looked like a child again. "How could I not be?"

"Hun," I sighed. "Are you going to be okay around them, now that you know about me?"

"I can lie, I promise." She gulped. "But that doesn't mean that I'm not worried all the time still."

I placed my hand on her arm. "Don't worry, I'll watch out for you."

"But they're titans," she said her voice still small.

I tried to keep my confidence up and scoffed. I rolled up my sleeve. "You see this?" she nodded slowly. "I'm a mortal, not a demigod, not a legacy, a mortal. And yet, I got this. The legion recognizes me as one of their own, do you know what it took me to get this?"

Andrea bit her lip. "No."

"I basically died," she cocked her head. "During the battle at Mount Orthys, Jake was there healing people, but I was left behind to help defend camp. The monsters found me and took me to the top of the mountain and stabbed me straight through with a spear," I touched the spot where my scar was. "Jake ended up saving me, but I'm not one to not give my life for a cause. And to protect people."

She gulped. "I'm twelve, I don't want to die."  
I smiled. "I'm twenty-six, neither do I. So, let's get through this." She still looked unsure. "How about this? Four more weeks, then we go back no matter what."

"Two weeks," she countered.

"Three," I said. She nodded. "Okay, but now you can put back on your mature face, one that's way too old for you, and we can head downstairs." She followed me down into the living room where everyone was already waiting.

"Babe, you're looking much better. There was no way I was going to continue being with you if stayed burned like that," Nikolas said.

"I'm glad I got all fixed up then," I tried not to let out a smirk.

"Were they shaken up?" Bia inquired.

I crossed my arms and rose an eyebrow. "Seriously? Yes, I would say they were."

"How do you know?" Kratos pushed.

I bit the insides of my cheeks to keep from screaming. "The demigod burned me, like to a crisp. Plus, I was close to his wife and unborn child. Knowing from experience, anyone getting close to your child and loved ones will cause you to panic."

Bia scowled. "You're in."

"Excuse me?" I questioned.

"You get your own seat at the big kids' table," Kratos added.

"Um, okay?" I scoffed, trying to act cool even though I was freaking out.

"Follow us," Bia said, and I followed them along with some of the others into the room.

Everyone except Daphne and Andrea followed. I'm guessing they were too young to be a part of it. We all stood around a circular table and Nikolas locked the door behind us.

"Let's get at this," he said.

The next two weeks were hell. We strategized, and unfortunately, being a fake daughter of Athena I was expected to help. It made me sick to my stomach, but I was in. Like truly in.

They had maps of Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-blood laid out. I saw all of their points of attack. Which monsters they were going to use and when. Where each of them would be entering in.

They even had a discussion of Jake.

"What if we try what we did at that rogue demigod school? We were able to kill a lot of the kids there," Derrek commented.

Nikolas scowled. "We had extensive injuries after that. We don't have our healer anymore. Ambrosia won't heal us if we fail again."

I had to grip the edge of the table to stop myself from screaming out. I knew as a "daughter of Athena" I would be curious, so I asked. "A healer? Isn't Andrea a child of Apollo?"

Nikolas rolled his eyes. "Oh babe, no. Jacob was a real healer. Like, he could touch you and heal horrible wounds."

"What happened to him?"

He shrugged. "We aren't sure. He wasn't cooperative. One day we went to see him, and he was gone."

The discussions of Jake died down after that thankfully, but the planning didn't. I was in there night after night. We planned and planned. Finally, it was two weeks and six days later. The night before I promised Andrea we would leave.

"Are you sure we can't bring Daphne?" I asked her while we were sitting in our room that night.

"No," she quickly replied. "You've been planning, so you haven't seen her much, but she's getting worse. I think she's going to snap soon."

I gulped. She knew everything about me. If she snapped, I would be done for. "Okay, I just need to get one final look at everything, then I'll call my friend to pick us up."

"Your friend? Who?"

"Nico," I said. "He's a child of Hades and he can shadow travel."

"Okay," she replied softly.

"We'll be fine," I said almost trying to assure myself too.

The next morning, we got up quickly and got ready. There wasn't anything that we needed there. Once we left, Andrea would get new things at camp. The only thing she did want to bring was a necklace her mother gave her, but she had that on already.

We walked down the stairs expecting like it would be any other morning for everyone else. No one knew our plan to leave. At least, we thought so.

As soon as we reached the bottom of the steps, Derrek was standing behind us, hands ablaze. Everyone was gathered in the living room and Daphne had her arms crossed standing next to Bia and Kratos. No one looked happy.

"Pat them down," Bia ordered.

I turned to my left and Andrea's face was white, yet she was trying to keep her maturity. I feigned confusion. "What's going on?"

"You know," Daphne said in a cold, dark voice. Shoot.

They took away all my stuff; I wouldn't have any way to contact Nico. They then tied my arms behind my back and did the same to Daphne. We were held had knifepoint, an imperial gold one to Andrea's neck and a regular one to mine.

"This should be fun," Kratos snarled.

Percy POV

"Lift your elbow up a little higher," I told Jake. He rose his right arm and was able to build on his strength. I dropped my arm. "You're a quick learner Scheper."  
Jake dropped his arm in suit. "You're a pretty good teacher Jackson."

We walked over to the bench and took a drink of water. The last few weeks Jake and I had been getting closer. He was hopelessly teaching me archery and I was teaching his swordsmanship. He was pretty good already, but he said more practice couldn't hurt. I think he was terrified of more monster attacks out in the real world, like the ones Allie had when pregnant. They wanted that someday, and he wanted to be ready.

We were about to spar agai, when Nico came in running with Annabeth and Reyna. They were all out of breath and anxious. Jake and I dropped our swords with a clink on the ground.

Jake ran over. "What is it? Is it," but Nico finished for him.

"It's Allie," he confirmed.

My heart dropped but I also got angry. "What happened?"

Annabeth placed her hand on my arm. "We're trying to find out."

"I lost her life force," Nico gulped.

"You, what?" Jake's eyes widened. He fell to the bench. "Allie, oh, my gods."

"But it may not mean she's dead," Reyna quickly added.

"What in the Hades do you mean? You should have led with that!" I burst out.

Nico held up his hand. "When Allie was hurt, she briefly mentioned the fact that I had a brother there who could manipulate the sensing of souls. I'm hoping to all the gods that's what this is and she's not actually," he couldn't even finish the sentence.

"What do you mean when she was hurt?" Jake protested.

We all stayed silent, until I cut in. "Allie got hurt bad and came back to camp but wasn't here for more than thirty minutes. I helped to heal her, and she was on her way back." '

"She didn't want me to help?" Jake pursed his lips.

"She knew that you wouldn't let her go back if you saw her," Reyna said.

"I wouldn't have and look at what happened now!" Jake stood up angry, but it died down quickly with his worry.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked.

"We have to go get her," Annabeth said. "And be ready for a fight. But don't worry, I think I have a plan."

 **Thank you all for reading! As always, please read and review! I'm hoping this will get some momentum and help move along the story. Hope you enjoyed!**


	13. Chapter 13

Allie POV  
"Who are you really?" Nikolas pushed.

Andrea and I were situated on the couch, but there really was no escape. Our hands were tied tightly behind our back and feet bounded together. Also, the numerous demigods and two titans were standing guard. Even if I managed to break my bonds, I had nowhere to run and Andrea to look after.

"My name isn't Maya, it's Allison Andrews," I began. Andrea's eyes went wide, but everyone else seemed intrigued.

"Go on," Daphne crossed her arms.

I shrugged the little I could. "What else is there to know?"

"That you're a mortal," Derrek suggested.

I didn't lie anymore. Maybe finally the truth would set me free. "I am a mortal."

"Then what's the tattoo? A fake?" Zach, son of Zeus, urged.

"She got it because she's a true hero, more than you'll ever be," Andrea defended, but it came with consequences. Erin dug the knife into her back and Andrea let out a cry.

I gave her an earnest look and she thankfully backed off. "I earned it during the battle of Mount Orthys. I almost died."

"How on earth did the Romans let you in?" Sofia questioned and she had a valid point being the only other Roman in the room.

I gulped but kept with my truth-seeking. "My fiancé. He brought me there when we were young and since I knew about the world, they let me stay."  
"And was it true that your boyfriend died?" Smith asked.

I shook my head. I don't know why I kept telling my story. I hoped that I would figure out a way to get out of this mess, but my head was spinning so fast it was hard to think straight. "No, I thought he did, but he had just been kidnapped."

I saw something flicker in Bia's eyes. She was starting to put it all together. My story, it was probably one she had heard before.

"And your fiancé? What's his name?" Bia stepped forward, finally breaking up the demigod banter. I held her gaze but didn't respond. Behind me, Nikolas pushed the dagger deeper into my shoulder, drawing blood, but I barely flinched. I had much worse pain before. "His name," she demanded again.

When I didn't answer a second time, a flame of fury passed over Bia's eyes. She nodded towards Erin. Shoot. Erin pushed the dagger into Andrea's shoulder, as she cried out in pain. Blood was already oozing out before I could respond.

"Jacob!" I screamed and Erin pulled the knife out. All eyes were on me. "Jacob Scheper."

"The healer," Kratos commented.

I nodded. "The mystery of his disappearance? Poseidon sent his son and a few others to come to take him from the cave," I smirked. "He got free of you."

This angered Nikolas as, without warning, he threw his knife into my leg. Now that hurt. I slumped forward and yelled as my vision blurred.

"Allie!" Andrea screamed.

"Well, don't kill her, at least, not yet," Kratos scoffed but let the knife stay in my leg.

I took a shaky breath and sat back up, even though all I wanted to do was throw up. I couldn't show them that weakness, not ever.

But it was hard. There wasn't a clear way out of this situation. My story drew on no compassion. Not a single one of these demigods were attracted to my words. The fact I had been connected to Jacob only made them angrier.

"He wouldn't save my boyfriend," Agnes piped in.

"Healing people causes him immense pain. Plus, you guys aren't the good guys," I mumbled softly earning me another slice on my arm.

"But he's healed you," Sofia commented. "Or how else did you heal from those burns weeks ago?"

"That was actually my friend, a son of Poseidon. But yes, Jake has healed me before."

"Why?" Nikolas asked and I rose an eyebrow. "If it hurts him, why would he do it?"

"Because he loves me," I said simply. "I hate when he does it, I originally made him promise to never do it. But there's been some extenuating circumstances."

Sofia got a dark look in her eyes and came up right in front of me. I twisted my head in confusion and then she snapped her fingers. A wave rushed over me, but nothing else seemed to happen. She scowled and tried again, and again, and again.

"Why isn't this working?" she screamed.

"Are you using your powers on her?" Smith asked. "I'm already doing that too."  
Sofia let out a ragged cry again. "I'm trying to make her fall in love with Nikolas, but it's obviously not working."

I smirked. "I love Jake, you can't make me fall in love with someone when I already love my soulmate." That earned me a slap across the cheek from her.

"What are we going to do with her?" Daphne pulled the conversion back. Great, so my delay technique didn't last very long.

"She's just a mortal and Andrea doesn't have any special powers. We should dispose of them," Nikolas urged.

A flash of something passed over Daphne's eyes. "Wait, you just want to kill them?"

"Yes?" Nikolas replied.

"Shouldn't we use them somehow?" Daphne questioned.

"Oo, like send them back by strapping a bomb to them," Derrek suggested.

I scowled and Bia laughed. "I'm sure this mortal would end her life before hurting her friends."

"You're correct in that statement," I said.

Bia scowled in return. "Get her up," she ordered. Immediately, Zach and Nikolas were at my sides hosting me to standing. I cried out from the pain as the knife shifted further into my leg. For good measure, Nikolas twisted my arm and I'm sure I heard a crack.

Bia got up in my face and spit in it. I tried to keep my composure, but my head was spinning. It was actually spinning once she let a strong whack against my head with her titan hand. I couldn't see straight, and all hope seemed lost.

Yet, then I saw something. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move in the shadows. Four figures. I prayed to all the Greek and Roman gods it was demigods from camp to get us. I tried to keep my focus directed on Bia. To keep her off of them.

"There is nothing you can do that will be worse than I've already been through," I taunted her. "I was stabbed through with a spear, thought I lost my fiancé, lost a son," I choked on my words. "Nothing can be worse than that."

"I could kill you," Bia said.

I shook my head. "You won't, you can't."

My vision was still fuzzy, but that's when the action broke out. Percy was the first to come out of the shadows and the chaos started. Reyna and Nico were close behind, both wielding swords as well. The last figure I saw was Jake. He had a sword out, but I knew he always preferred his bow. He hated to fight in closed spaces, which exactly what this was. I also knew he was trying to fight towards me, but the fight was elsewhere.

Bia backed out of my face and Zach let go of my arm. Nikolas stayed close though, he wasn't going to let me go. Percy had already disarmed and disabled most of the demigods and Reyna and Nico were securing them close behind.

Jake wasn't much of a fighter but paused when he saw Andrea. He quickly undid her binds and healed her shoulder shutting his eyes tight. Gods, I missed his face, but I hated to see him in so much pain. Jake quickly helped her up and pulled her behind him.

Eventually, most of the demigods were disarmed, but then everyone stopped mid-fight. Nikolas had taken out the knife from my leg and was holding it tight against my neck. Bia and Kratos stood on either side of me while blood oozed out of my leg.

Everything was at a standstill. Percy, Reyna, Nico, Jake, and Andrea stood ready on one side of the room while Nikolas stood with a knife on me with Bia and Kratos on the other, unconscious demigods littered throughout on the floor. I swear Jake was holding his breath.

Jake locked eyes with me but something was off. I tried to mouth _go_ , but no one budged. They had Andrea, they should leave with her. I was a goner.

"We have this mortal," Bia scowled. "We won't give her up."

The other side was tense, they seemed to be waiting for something. Jake spoke, "Let me heal her first," Bia cocked an eyebrow and Jake continued. "You'll have no leverage with her if she's dead."

"Fine, drop your weapon and come over here," Bia said. Jake dropped his weapon and slowly walked over.

Nikolas took the knife away from my neck and pressed it into the small of my back, pushing me forward. I used the little bit of strength I had left to limp over. My leg was losing too much blood and my head wasn't any better. I wanted to stop Jake, this wouldn't be pleasant for him.

My last step was it. My leg gave way and I fell into Jake's arms. He held me against his chest with shaking arms and pulling me close. Tears leaked out of his eyes and fell into my hair.

"Jake," I croaked out

"Shh," he said rubbing my head. I could feel my wounds healing, and Jake quivering from the pain. I felt the last of my wounds heal and my head became clear again. He kissed the top of my head and whispered, "I love you, Allie. Just trust me."

 _Trust him?_ But before I could comprehend what was going on, Jake spun around and pushed me forward. This time towards my friends. The knife was now placed against his back. I didn't even have time to react when Reyna pulled me back.

"Jake," I screamed, trying to fight her.

Nikolas had the knife against his neck, but Jake wasn't fighting back. He had his arms up in the air in surrender.

"Stupid boy," Bia scowled.

"Hey, it's a fair trade. Let them go, and I'll be your healer," Jake said keeping eye contact with me.

Tears were streaming down my eyes as I fought against Reyna. "Jake no! I can't lose you again."

His eyes softened. "Remember, you have more than just me."

I turned toward Percy. "You have to do something," I cried.

Percy's face dropped. "He wanted to do this, he needed to do this."

"They're going to kill him," I argued.

"You're not wrong," Nikolas said with a smirk. He stuck the knife into Jake's side, and he yelled out as the wound already began to heal. "But we're going to have some fun first."

The demigods around us began to wake. "Why not take them all?" Kratos growled.

"Now Nico," Jake screamed.

The scene unfolded around me, but too slow. Nikolas sliced deep into Jake's arm and I yelled, but there was nothing I could do. Percy grabbed Andrea and Reyna had me. Nico pulled all of us into a shadow and the next instance, we were back at Camp Half-blood.

"No!" I screamed out, running to where Jake would have been if we were at the mansion.

"Allie," Percy began slowly.

I turned around slowly towards him. "You let him do that? Why in the hades would you let him do that?"

"Breath," Reyna said grabbing my arms, but I pushed her away.

"He's going to die," I cried, pulling my arms into myself. I was losing myself again, like when Jayce died. "They're going to kill him."

Percy rushed over and wrapped his arms around me as I fell onto the ground sobbing. He let me soak his shirt wet, even though he never did because of those stupid Poseidon powers. Slowly my cries stopped, and I pulled my head up.

"Are you going to be okay?" Percy questioned with concern on his face.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

Reyna cleared her throat. "Nico already went to rest, that was a lot of shadow traveling for him. Can you watch Allie if I take Andrea and get her situated?"

Percy nodded. "Go, we'll be fine."

Reyna gave me a sad glance but hurried off with Andrea. At least Andrea was here, safe and alive. With all she's been through at a young age, it's nice she gets a chance to have a normal life. Well, normal for a demigod anyway.

"Let's take a walk," Percy said calmly. I sighed but obliged. I needed to get my mind off of Jake. The fact he could be getting tortured at the moment or already be dead was too much.

Percy and I made our way down to the beach, my favorite spot in Camp Half-blood. We walked in silence, but I could tell something was off with Percy as well. I stopped and grabbed his arm.

"Perce, is everything alright with you?" I asked and his eyes went wide.

"Why would you ask that? You're the one who just lost Jake," he said.

I shrugged. "Somethings off. Is there another quest going on?"

"Why would you assume that?"  
"Annabeth," I said plainly. "I know we had a complicated past, but I thought we were growing to be friends. I was sure she would have been there. Unless she was already off doing a mission and that's why you're so tense."

Percy let out a sigh but nodded. He rubbed the back of his neck. "She'll be fine, she's Annabeth, but yeah, I still worry."

I shut my eyes tight. "I know the feeling. When Jake was off on quests, I could barely sleep," I opened my eyes and saw Percy looking at me. "Can we just sit?" He nodded slowly and we sat on the beach. I stared off into the sea before I spoke again. "How was Jake when I was gone?"

Percy rolled his eyes. "Do you even have to ask that?" I shrugged and sat waiting for an answer. "He missed you like crazy. The whole not sleeping thing? He was like that this whole time you've been gone."

I looked down at my fingers. "I'm sure he thought back to the quests he'd been on and how I was usually the one waiting."

"How many did he go on?" Percy questioned.

"Not including the one where he got kidnapped, four," I said and smiled. "I did manage to sneak along for the last one though."

Percy's eyes budged. "That's a lot. At least for Camp Jupiter."

I nodded. "Well, everyone wanted the person who could heal them on their team. He eventually started saying no. He hated how I looked every time he left. And with the titan war, he wanted to stay at camp."

"Sometimes I forget that you guys had the war as well. We had the battle in Manhattan, but you had it on the mountain," he shook his head. "It's so weird that you were there through it all. Allie, we knew each other for five years without any of this coming up."

I rolled my eyes and nudged him. "What was I going to say Perce? 'Oh, by the way, the Roman gods were real and during my teenage years I helped battle evil titans?' I don't think that would have gone over well."

Percy just smiled and we stared out at the ocean again. A few minutes later Percy interrupted the silence. "I almost forgot," he reached into his pocket and took out my engagement ring that I had given to Jake when I left. "He wanted you to have this."

I put it on my finger with a shaky hand and tears flowing down my cheeks again. "Damnit Jacob," I mumbled. I gritted my teeth and turned towards Percy. "He knew he was going to do that, didn't he?"

Percy nodded. "If it came down to it, he wanted you to get out."

I spun my ring around my finger and broke down again. Percy pulled me into his arms, and I cried. Slowly, my cries diminished as I cried myself into exhaustion and sleep.

Jake POV

I drew blood as I bit the inside of my cheeks again. Didn't they ever get bored? The son of Ares cut his knife across my chest once again. The cut stung, but the healing was painless. His words were the worst part.

"You know I kissed your girlfriend, right?" He taunted. "I pressed my lips against hers and my body against her. If only she would have let me take off her clothes, I bet she's great in bed."

I shook my chains in protest but to no avail. All Nikolas did was let out a laugh. If I could, I would have knocked him right to Hades. I knew Allie had to fit in when she was here, but I hated him taunting me with the fact. At least now she was out and safe.

Nikolas stabbed his sword through me one last time and I grunted, slumping my head forward. Dried blood was all over my skin. If I would have been a regular demigod, my death would have come ages ago. But I wasn't normal.

"We're going to let you sit here, alone. We'll be back tomorrow, or maybe the next day or week. Whatever we decide," Nikolas laughed. "Have fun dying." And left the cave.

I let out a sigh when he left the cave. Monsters were still littered throughout, but they would have to wait for instructions to be allowed to touch me. It brought me back to my years in the cave. I hated being back, but it was necessary for the plan to work.

A few more moments passed when something shimmered in the shadows. I let out a groan as I felt the last of my wounds heal. I lifted my head and let out a sigh of relief.

There Annabeth stood no longer invisible. She set down the monster sleeping box and set it off. She was checking our surroundings one last time before running up to me. She began to take off my chains.

"Jacob are you okay?" she asked.

I nodded quickly. "Let's just get out of here fast. I don't want to be in here longer than needed."

Annabeth cut the last off my chains and I rubbed my wrists. "Nico should be waiting outside in a few minutes. The monsters are all down, for now. We just need to move quickly."

"Let's not waste any time then. This was your plan, lead the way." I said.

 _Five Hours Before_

"I go in with you but stay out of the fight invisible. If it comes to it, I'll stay behind and help out whoever was left. It's unlikely we will all get out at once," Annabeth began.

"You want to stay there?" Percy questioned.

She shrugged. "Seaweed brain, I won't get caught. I'll just have to wait until they are off guard and get whoever is there."

"Me," I blurted out. All eyes turned to me. "It has to be me."

"Why does it have to be you?" Nico questioned, but Annabeth was already nodding.

"No, it makes sense," Annabeth added. "They'll want Jake. If they have Allie, we can swap them."

"Assuming she's still alive," I muttered.

"She's alive," Percy urged. "She has to be."

I nodded. "Okay, Annabeth can stay until they leave me, they will. That's what they did before. Their guard will be down, and I can escape."

"I'll keep track of both of your life forces, I'll come get you," Nico added.

"Allie will hate this plan," Reyna argued. "She won't let you go."

I shrugged. "I didn't want her to go to this in the first place. Plus, she's not here so she doesn't get a vote."

"I think it will work," Annabeth said, and Percy gave her a glance. She reassured him. "It will work."

"But we can't tell Allie," I added. All eyes turned to me yet again. "If there's a chance she suspects anything, it can through everything off. I don't want her to hope, there's always a chance they will kill me right away. So, we have to keep her in the dark until I'm back."

Everyone nodded in agreement and we dispersed to grab our weapons. I pulled Percy aside quick and pulled Allie's engagement ring out of my pocket. He looked confused when I placed it in his hand. "Please, keep this safe for me and give it to Allie."

"You better stay alive," Percy almost ordered. "You need to come back for her."

I took a shaky breath, "I'll try my hardest."

 _Present_

And so far, the plan had worked. Here I was escaping, and Allie was back at camp safe. Honestly, that's the only thing I cared about, one of the only things I have ever cared about. Allie being safe.

We slowly made our way out of the cave. We thought we were in the home stretch, but we were taken by surprise. I heard a snap and Annabeth fell to the ground. I'm sure that had to be her leg. She tried to stand up but was just pressed against the ground.

All the demigods were standing right outside with the Titans. Nikolas scowled. "I told you he would try to run," he sneered.

"Tie them up, both of them," Bia ordered. "And don't let them out of your sight this time."

 **Uh-oh. What's going to happen next? I hope you enjoyed! Please read and review!**


	14. Chapter 14

Percy POV

It had been three days. Three whole excruciating days. I hadn't heard from Annabeth in three days and it was killing me.

Nico had gone back and tried to search the area, but he couldn't find anything. Will had put him on rest, he was draining himself. I agreed he had to rest too, but we were all on edge. Why hadn't they come back yet?

Surprisingly, Allie was doing pretty well. You know, considering her fiancé had just sacrificed himself for her. She was organizing their battle plans, showing where they had been and hadn't been planning to attack. We increased our security, and our weaknesses became our strong points.

Other than that, Allie wasn't doing much, but she was still living. She was eating at meals and giving polite smiles when people asked how she was doing. The only thing she wasn't doing well was sleeping. Reyna and I took turns checking on her at night, and she was almost always crying.

Today was day four of not hearing from them, and I began to talk with Reyna. "Should we go after them?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I know you think you need to protect her Percy, but your girlfriend is _the_ smartest person I know. If something happened, she'll figure it out."

I shut my eyes tight. "I know, I just want to do something. I hate just waiting."

Reyna smiled. "You can't always play hero."

I sighed. "I'll go check up on Allie," and I headed off.

It took me a minute to find her, but when I did, she was standing on the beach twirling her engagement ring. I walked gradually behind her.

"Hey," I said breaking the silence.

Allie didn't alter her gaze but spoke. "Annabeth went after him, didn't she?"

I tried to hide my surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not dumb Percy," Allie turned towards me.

"I never said you were," I replied.

She sighed. "At the mansion, I thought Annabeth wasn't there, but she was." She looked at me for confirmation, but I neither confirmed or denied her story. "She stayed to break out Jake, but something must have gone wrong. You've been almost as anxious as me the past few days."

I shook my head. "How did you figure it out?"

She sighed. "At this point, I don't want to think Jake would ever purposefully go into a fight knowing we would never see each other again. And now with you and Annabeth. I guess I just put it all together."

I sighed again. "You're too smart, Allison Andrews."

She shook her head. "Did you look at the date today?"

I tilted my head. "No, why, is it important?"

She shrugged. "If Jayce had actually been born on his due date, he would have been one month old today."

I took a sharp breath. "Gods, really?"

It must have been out of instinct, but Allie placed her hand over her stomach and closed her eyes. "Our lives would have been so different Perce. But I can't imagine him being born into this, whatever is going to happen."

"I know," I said. "Leo is freaking out. He wants to take Calypso far away, but she's insisting he stays to help."

"She should go away," Allie said. "She's having a baby if I could," she trailed off.

"We can't change the past," I said solemnly.

"I know, it's just," she stared at me with teary eyes. "We can change the future. And if Jake and Annabeth are in danger, I can't just sit here."

"He just wants you to be safe," I defended.

"Yeah?" Allie retorted, jaw tight. "And I just want _him_ to be safe. We love each other, but sometimes this is toxic, putting our lives on the line for the other."

"And I just want Annabeth here," I almost yelled back. Allie fell silent. "After Tartarus, all that was important was that we were together. I hate when we aren't together. Don't you think that I want her here too?"

Allie swallowed. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

I shook my head. "I shouldn't have gotten out of hand. But I'm sure they'll be fine."  
Allie nodded but didn't seem so sure. "I hope so."

Annabeth POV

I yelled out again as the monster rammed into my broken leg. Jake lifted his head, but it quickly fell again. I don't how much longer we'll be able to stand this.

They were continually bringing in monsters and demigods for Jake to heal. He rarely got a break, and I could see how it was wearing on him. He could heal people, but his powers were becoming drained. It was like if Percy summoned a hurricane, he would need to sleep for a while to recover. Jake wasn't getting that chance.

Jake was chained against the opposite wall from me. It had been four days since we almost escaped. Four days since I've seen Percy and four days since Jake saw Allie. Four days since we had food.

Finally, the monsters left, and Jake dropped to the ground. His arms and legs were shackled, but it didn't even matter. He couldn't move if he wanted to. I was fearing he was giving up.

"Jake," I tried to scream as much as I could. When he didn't reply, I scooted as far out as my chains would allow. "Jacob," I yelled, and he let out a soft groan acknowledging me.

"You have to keep fighting," I urged. I knew this was harder on him than it was on me, but he was giving up too early. "You need to be there for Allie."

"She'll be fine without me," Jake mumbled.

"Uh, no. Allison Andrews is hopelessly in love with you. You need to survive for her," when he didn't respond, I continued. "When Percy and I were in Tartarus, we talked about our future together to keep going." I paused. "What does your future look like with Allie?"

He didn't respond at first. "I see her in a wedding dress."

"Okay, keep going," I urged.

"I see, I see us living together in New York City, so she can keep her job," he swallowed. "I see us being a family. Allie pregnant, us having a little boy or girl," even though there was only darkness, I'm sure he let out a small smile. "We would take our kids to Camp Jupiter, to show where Allie and I grew close."

"Kids?" I smirked.

He let out a laugh. "Oh, absolutely. At least two little ones." He paused again. "But I can't have that."

"Jacob don't say that," I scolded. "We will get out of here. I have those same plans with Percy, well, similar ones."

"What are your plans?" Jake asked.

"Getting married on the beach. Moving into a house I designed near Camp. A little girl who looks just like Percy," I smiled.

"And you two broke up before because you were scared of the future," Jake said. Wow, Allie really did tell him everything.

"I'm not scared, just apprehensive. Things are bound to go wrong, but I've decided I'm ready for the journey," I pushed back and leaned against the wall. "So, neither of us can be giving up quite yet."

"What if we both die?" Jake asked.

"What do you mean?" I countered.

"If we both die, and Allie and Percy are alone," Jake said. "Do you think," but he trailed off with his question.

Yet I know what he was going to ask. Do you think they'll get together? If Jake and I were out of the picture, what would they do? I remember Percy's face looking at Allie when she was pregnant. He loved that baby, and even though he wasn't with Allie, he cared for her deeply.

"They don't love each other," I said simply, but with a sour taste in my mouth.

"That's not what I asked," Jake said. "They would get together."

I shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not."

"They would have another kid, maybe even a few. She would be happy," Jake said.

"Jacob Scheper, no. _You_ make her happy. Allie's been so happy ever since you've been back." I said.

"I can't imagine my life without her," Jake said.

"I can't imagine my life without Percy. And I know they can't imagine their lives without us. Jake, just push through this." I pushed.

But then, all of a sudden, I started to feel sleepy. Like, super sleepy. My eyes began to droop, and I was out.

Unfortunately, I began to dream. Demigod dreams aren't like normal dreams, but this one was different I wasn't dreaming the now, it was like I was dreaming the future.

I was seeing everything from the outside. First, it was Nico at camp. Allie and Percy were standing side-by-side.

"Well?" Percy seemed to ask anxiously. "Did you get them?"

Nico solemnly shook his head. "I'm sorry. We got there, but it was already too late. Annabeth and Jacob had already died."

The scene began to shift with Allie falling to the ground sobbing and Percy standing blankly.

The next scene was the two of them in an apartment. Allie had her hair up in a bun and was chopping some vegetables. Percy stood next to her, helping make the dinner. They looked probably five years or so older, but a lot sadder.

Allie took a deep breath and set down her knife, squeezing her eyes shut. Percy placed his hand on top of hers. "Hey, you okay?" he asked softly.

Allie nodded, but tears came to her eyes. "I just can't believe it's been five years."

Percy took a sharp intake of breath. "I know, but they would want us to be living our lives. To be happy." Allie turned her head towards Percy and sighed. He took her hands. "Allie, marry me."

She sighed. "Percy."

"No, hear me out. We've been living together for the past five years. Neither one of us is dating. All of our friends are married and having kids. Hell, we even sleep in the same bed at night."

"Perce, the only reason is so we can watch each other, to make sure the other person is alive. It's not the same," Allie sighed.

Percy shrugged. "It will never be the same. But Allie, I love you, I want us to have a family together, to move on and build our lives together."

Allie bit her lip. "Okay."

"Okay?" Percy was enthused.

"Gods, yes Perce, I'll marry you," she smiled.

The scenes in my dream cut through. Percy and Allie are their wedding. Them moving in together in an actual house. Another scene drew long again.

It was Allie sitting on the edge of a bed, clearly very pregnant. She was holding a picture, of her and Jake, and sobbing. Percy had his arm around her, comforting her.

"I'm sorry Percy. I shouldn't be like this. We're having a baby," but Percy cut her off with a light kiss.

"I still think about her every day," Percy smiled. "Her hair, her smile, the way she kissed me whenever I did something stupid," he let out a light laugh, and it made my heart ache. "It's okay to think about him. I'm not mad."

Allie took Percy's hand and placed it on her stomach. His hand fluttered about. "You're a great husband, and are going to make a great dad," she smiled.

He placed a light kiss on her stomach. "And you're a great wife and mom."

The next scene cut to years later. Both Allie and Percy had grey and white hair. They were standing on the edge of a porch. Young kids ran around the yard, their grandkids. The scene ended with Percy wrapping his arms around Allie.

I woke up in a sweat. The chains rattled as I tried to catch my breathing. A small bit of light shown through in the cave, and I saw Jake shaking as well. He lifted his head up.

"Did you just have the dream?" he asked.

"Of Percy and Allie?" I asked to confirm.

He nodded. "They'll be okay, but Annabeth," he took a shaky breath. "I can't have that happen. To see them be together, to have a family," he trailed off.

"I know. Think of that, but with you and both of you happy. Are you ready to fight?" I asked.

He nodded. "Now more than ever."

Percy POV  
I woke up in a sweat. The dream, it was so odd. I had to remind myself that it was all not real. Annabeth was still alive, at least I hoped so. I had to believe if she was really gone, I would feel it. I would feel if half my soul left.

I jumped slightly when someone knocked on my door. "Come in," I called out.

The door creaked open and in walked Allie. She looked just as bad as I felt. Her hair was tousled, and she was in her pajamas. She had on sweatpants and a Camp Jupiter t-shirt that was too big for her, they must be Jake's.

"Hey," she mumbled and shifted in her steps. Tears were coming to her eyes. "So, I just had this weird dream."

"About us, if Jake and Annabeth don't come back?" I supplied.

Her eyes widened. "Yes." She swallowed. "I know it's stupid, but they're still alive, right?"

I nodded. "They have to be, but wait?" I sat up more in my bed. "You're not a demigod, how are you having dreams like that?"

She shrugged, hugging into herself. "It's happened before. The gods want to send messages to me sometimes."

"What god wanted to send that message?" I questioned.

"I, I'm not sure," Allie said. She sat down at the edge of my bed. "Maybe Juno?"

"Why would Juno send us a message like that?" I asked.

Allie sighed. "It's happened before. After Jason died and then after I thought Jake died, and maybe before," she bit her lip. "She would send me dreams about my future family. I think she was showing me I had something to fight for. At first, I thought that it meant Jayce, but ever since he died," she gulped. "I still got them, but they were with Jake, even before I knew he was alive. This is the first time it hasn't been him."

I shifted. "That's, concerning."

"Somethings changing, I think she's telling us we need to set it back on track. What were you going to do with Annabeth and Jake being missing?" she questioned.

"I was going to just wait. Annabeth is smart, she'd get them out."

"What if that's not the way to handle it? What if we need to go get them?" Allie sighed. "What if this is where we get the Titans?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Kill them, or at least disable them. There was nothing in those pictures your oracle painted about them being stuck there, with them. What if this is another one of those turning points, like me going into the action?" she questioned.

"I, I'm not quite sure," I began.

It was a lot to wrap my head around. But Allie was smart, and she was right. That dream message hadn't been an accident. The dream itself wasn't terrible, but it was almost a warning. Like, this is what will happen if you don't change it now. You'll be sad, but your life will still go on. But that future wasn't the best for either of us. I needed Annabeth and she needed Jake.

"We should go talk to the others. I know Rachel is here, and we can call Reyna over from Camp Jupiter. Piper can clue in on it too, and whoever else is around," I concluded.

"Let's go make a plan," Allie said. I began to stand up and Allie turned around blushing. I was wearing only my boxers. "You should put some clothes on first Perce."

"You've seen me with less," I smirked.

She shook her head as she walked out. "Put some clothes on!"

I laughed and got ready quickly. I met Allie outside 30 minutes later. She had changed as well. Her still blonde hair hung long down her back, but I could see some of her brunette sneaking in at her roots. She had on a Camp Jupiter shirt, one that was her size now, along with jeans.

"I called Reyna and she's on her way over. She said Frank and Hazel were at camp too and wanted to help. When I said Jake and Annabeth may be in trouble," she sighed, "they were already willing to help."  
"Jake and Annabeth are in trouble?" Piper walked by.

I gulped. "We can talk about it once everyone gets here."

We started to the big house and Rachel met us along the way. "I had a feeling you would need me," she said.

We met at the big house and Reyna, Frank, and Hazel walked in right behind us. We all sat down at the table, except Allie. She was pacing back and forth until Reyna grabbed her arm.

"Allison, sit down. You're making all of us anxious," Reyna said.

She huffed but took a seat next to Reyna but continued to shift in her seat. Finally, Chiron came in and wheeled himself into the room and sat at the head of the table.

"What's this about?" Chiron asked.

We caught everyone up. The plan of recusing Allie, Annabeth and Jake staying behind, the too long of a wait, the weird dream. Rachel was nodding throughout it all.

"I know things have shifted, but Allie, why do you think the dream came from Juno?" Rachel asked.

She shrugged. "She's reached out to me before. Family has always been very important to me and I think she connected to that. I also know Apollo couldn't reach out, and although gods say they don't have favorite children, he's very fond of Jacob. He couldn't just let him die, not this second time."

"You seem to know a lot about the gods. Have you interacted with them?" Piper chimed in.

Allie shifted uncomfortably. Reyna touched her arm and answered for her. "Around Allie's third year at camp, some of the gods sort of kidnapped her."

"They kidnapped you?" I burst out.

Allie shrugged. "I don't remember much about it. They erased most of my memories from it, but I know I spent time with them."

"That's messed up," Frank commented.

Allie sighed. "After that, I had a weird mortal connection with them. That's why I _know_ it was Juno who sent that message, and it was to change that future. If we do nothing, that will come about."

"So, what do we need to do?" Hazel asked.

"We have to go back for them," I said.

"Yeah, but how?" Piper asked. "Even with all of us, they have monsters and demigods on their side. And it's in the middle of the desert. Percy, your powers will be useless."

I tried not to be offended because she was correct.

"You can't just go get them," Rachel said. All eyes turned to her. She continued, "Yes, getting them is part of it, but you need to take out their army as well. The monsters, demigods, Titans in all."

"This is supposed to be a simple rescue, why complicate it?" Allie questioned.

"It's going to be nearly impossible to get them out, we all know that," Rachel began, and no one argued. "But, if we can take out their army along the way, we could get them out and win a battle in this war."

"Hopefully there aren't many more battles," Frank mumbled.

"So, what do we do?" Allie asked.

"We don't do anything child," Chiron spoke for the first time in this conversation. "You are mortal, you can't go into this."

Allie immediately began to argue. "You just sent me into the middle of the fight!"

"That was different," he retorted. "It was a recon mission, and even that went badly. This is all fighting, if you get hurt, ambrosia and nectar can't heal you quickly and I know you don't want your fiancé to heal you either. He'll be in bad shape as it is."

Allie backed down. "I'm not weak."

"But you are mortal, and at this moment, that's all that matters. The future you saw? That or any other future will cease to exist if you are killed," Chiron finished.

"I can't just sit back," Allie said.

"This time, you'll need to," Rachel commented. "We've already changed the future, this is an alternative path from the first."

"But she can help plan," Reyna defended. "Allie, you know them better than anyone else."

Allie stood up from the table. "It's fine, you don't need to give me a pity position," and she hurried out.

I stood up to go after her, but Reyna held up her hand. "Percy, just give her some time. You need to stay here and plan."

"What use is a plan? They always go out the window anyway," I slumped into my chair.

"And that's why your other half is Annabeth," Piper smirked.

"Let's begin," Reyna said.

Two hours later, we came out with a half-baked plan. The day was already almost over, we would go there at first light. Now, all I needed to do was find Allie. It took me a moment, but I finally found her in the arena. I was going to go ahead and talk to her, but something was off.

"What are you doing here?" Allie called out.

At first, I thought it was to me, but then I realized another presence. Allie was standing sweating her hair falling down out of her ponytail, holding her dagger up. Opposite of her stood a woman tall clothed in a white dress. Realization dawned on me. It was Hera, or since she was talking to Allie, probably Juno.

"I was just checking up on you. Smart of you to know it was me who sent the dream," Juno replied.

"Again, what are you doing here?" Allie demanded. Why was she talking to a goddess this way?

"Come here darling," Juno said. Allie was hesitant but approached the goddess. The goddess placed her hand on Allie's cheek and Allie shut her eyes tight. Juno touched her hair as well and it changed back to brunette, her natural color. "I much rather would like to see you as you, not pretending to be a daughter of Athena."

Allie's eyes snapped opened and she took a step away from the goddess. "I don't know if I want to speak to you," there was something new in her eyes. Possibly a realization?

"Darling, I know it's been a hard year," Juno started.

"A hard year?" Allie tightened her jaw. "That's a freaking understatement."

"It wasn't all meant to be this way," Juno said.

"Really?" Allie crossed her arms. "What was it supposed to be like then?"

Juno sighed. "When you got pregnant, it wasn't supposed to turn out the way it did."

"When I got pregnant?" Allie's eyes widened. "Oh gods, please don't tell me what I think you're going to say."

"I knew Perseus Jackson would break it off with you. I wanted you to have a child," Juno said.

" _Di immortals,_ " Allie cursed. "I knew we were being careful. You made me get pregnant?"

Juno nodded. "But as I said, it wasn't supposed to turn out that way. The child was supposed to live, but there was outside interference."

"His name was Jayce," Allie's eyes grew sad. "And I know you know that."

"Child, I'm sorry," Juno reached out, but Allie jerked away. What was their relationship?

"You also knew I was dying," Allie said angrily. "You knew I was killing myself. Were you just going to let me die?"

"Of course not," Juno defended. "Who do you think convinced Neptune to tell his son to go get Jacob?"

Allie shook. "That was you?"

Juno nodded. "We've had this conversation before Allison."

Allie shut her eyes, and I could see tears forming in the corners. "But you've left me," her voice was shaking. "You let Jacob leave me. You knew he was alive, yet you let me live without him."

"I needed you to be on your own."

"And you left me for years! You let me leave!" Allie yelled.

"I couldn't draw suspicion," Juno defended.

"And what good did that do you?" Allie got up in her face, but then backed down. She took a deep breath and centered herself. "But you showed me that dream, why?"

"That can't happen," Juno said coldly. "You and Perseus can't be together. As much as I despise Annabeth Chase, and I'm not saying they are going to have it easy, but they need to be together just like you and Jacob are meant to be."

"So, we're all just pawns?" Allie forced.

Juno's voice quieted. "You know you aren't a pawn."

Allie swallowed. "What are you going to do about it then?"

"I can't do anything about the Titans, and I can't promise all will go smoothly, but Jacob and Annabeth should make it back here by tomorrow evening."

Allie's eyes welled up in tears and I let out a breath. "Thank you," Allie said sincerely.

"I'll check up on you soon. As much as you think I've abandoned you, I'm always watching," Juno went over and placed her hand on Allie's cheek.

"Wait," Allie grabbed Juno's wrist. "How long until I forget?"

"Tomorrow morning. Perseus Jackson has been watching and you'll have some explaining to do," and with that, Juno vanished.

"Perce?" Allie questioned. I sighed and came out of the shadows. "How much of that did you see?"

"All of it," I admitted.

Allie took a sharp intake of breath but sighed. "Can you give me 30 minutes? I need to shower."

I nodded. "Meet you at the beach?" She nodded and quickly headed off.

True to her word, Allie was sitting on the beach thirty-minutes later, her hair still wet from her shower. She was playing with her hair but stopped when she saw me. I cautiously sat down next to her.

She crossed her legs. "What do you want to know?"

"Um," where did I even begin? "I'm not sure."

Allie sighed. "I guess I'll start from the beginning. You know the month Reyna said I was kidnapped for?" I nodded slowly. "I was taken to Mount Olympus."

"But mortals aren't allowed up there."

"Officially no, but apparently I'm special," Allie shook her head. "At fifteen, the gods explained I would have a hard life ahead of me. They gave me a choice, return to Camp Jupiter and face that track or go back to the mortal world and forget all about it," she stared at me. "I couldn't forget all about."

"So, you choose the hard way?" I asked.

"Yes, and no. Juno pitied me. We had this weird connection," Allie trailed off. "Neither one of us could ever place it. She told me she was going to check up on me time to time, take care of me, the only catch was I would never remember it until the next meeting."

"So today?"

"When she touched my cheek, I remembered our agreement. But I'll forget about it again tomorrow." Allie said.

"But she cares about you."

"As I said, it's complicated. Before Jacob and I were officially together, she wanted Jason and me to be, so she could be my step-mom sort of," I let out a scowl and Allie laughed. "Exactly. Once she realized Jake and I were meant to be together and we loved each other, she gave it up."

"So, you and Juno aren't," I trailed off not being able to say it.

Allie's eyes went wide. "Gods, Percy, no!"

I threw my hands up in defense. "I don't know what to think! I've never seen Hera care about anyone before. Even Jason, she erased his memory like she did mine."

"We had a long talk about that," Allie sighed. "After Jason died, you know how Jacob blamed himself thinking he could have prevented his death. Juno blamed Jacob too." Allie sighed. "When I thought Jake died, it was like she was punishing us. She never denied that she didn't. And now knowing she help orchestrate Jayce."

"It's weird. The gods play with our lives," I said.

Allie nodded. "I know this is really weird and a lot. What else?"

"What does Jake think about this?" I asked.

Allie's head dropped. "Jake doesn't know."

"What do you mean he doesn't know?" I asked.

"I barely know it! Plus, if he knew that at fifteen, I could have prevented all this pain," Allie sighed, and her eyes twinkled. "But also, all this love. The gods said I would go through so much pain but get so much love. I couldn't turn that down." Allie smiled. "Normally, people who are meant to be never are. To get love, you must go through the pain. That's why you and Annabeth have had so many hardships."

"What do you mean?"

"You two are meant for each other. Love can't exist without pain," Allie sighed. "But it's worth it in the end." The sun began to set on the horizon. "But you should get to bed Perce. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

I nodded. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

Allie smiled. "Just remember, you can't tell Jake or me about this, okay?"

I nodded and kissed the top of her head. "I won't. And Allie?" she tilted her head up. "We are going to get them back."

 **What's going to happen next? Thanks for reading! As always, please read and review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Percy POV

We were all standing at the edge of camp. Many people had volunteered for the mission. From the meeting, Hazel, Frank, Reyna, and Piper had all volunteered to come along. Somehow, the news traveled to Nico and he volunteered. He would transport Jake and Annabeth depending on their condition via shadow travel back to camp where Will would be waiting to treat them. Even Leo volunteered. I think he was more angry than anything, these people had wanted to go after his family, I could understand his hatred.

We decided on taking Pegasus due to the group size. Shadow traveling would tire Nico out too much, and we needed him to be at full strength. Everyone was lined up with Rachel, Will, Calypso, and Allie standing opposite of us.

"Remember, this quest is vital," Rachel urged. "But still be careful."

"Aren't we always?" Leo smirked but his smile faltered when Calypso gave him a pointed look.

"Especially you Valdez. I don't have to remind you that we have a child coming any day now. He or she will need their father," Calypso said.

"We'll all be careful," Frank reassured her.

"If they have any injuries, Nico please bring them back to camp quick," Will said.

"Yeah, yeah. That would also get me out fast," Nico rose an eyebrow.

"I can't argue with that, but everyone has to be careful," Will said.

Allie shifted silently staring me down. "We'll get them back," I said.

"And you all come back," Allie said. I could tell she was trying to keep it together. Everyone she cared about was going off on this quest.

"We will," Piper said confidently. "But we should get going."

We all stared at each other before finally getting on our respective horses and flying off. I could practically feel Allie's eyes burn in the back of my head until we were out of sight of camp.

It took us a few hours to get there, but Zeus must have granted us good travel. We ran into no trouble on our way to the desert. He must have known our mission there would be difficult enough.

Unfortunately, right as we got to the desert, we ran into trouble. A fireball zoomed up and barely missed Frank who was traveling as an eagle. He dove down fast and right before he hit the ground he turned into a tiger and began to attack.

They must have been expecting us, Allie said they had someone who could see through Iris Messages and another who could interrupt people's motives. All of the demigods from the house were lined up, waiting. The Titans were not in sight, but their army of monsters made up for the difference.

Leo through a fireball back in return and an explosion rocked the ground. I saw a demigod run out of the cave, Nikolas, the one who had held a knife to Allie's neck. Piper ran into the cave right after he exited, we hoped that Annabeth and Jake would be in there. Now, the battle began.

Annabeth POV

It was day five. Day five of no food and very minimal water. If we didn't get out of here soon, we would die of dehydration. We were trying to hold on, but it was starting to get nearly impossible.

Currently, Jake was sleeping. They had hung him down from the ceiling by his arms. He had passed out from the pain a few hours ago. He was mumbling "Allie," under his breath. Gods, he really wasn't going to last any longer.

I knew Allie was on Jake's mind, but I had to push to get Percy on my mind. He almost felt like a fantasy at this point. His wide, goofy grin. The way his black hair swooped when he hadn't gotten it cut in a while. The way his eyes twinkled. The way he kissed me. He felt like only a long, distant dream.

My eyes snapped open when a demigod walked into the room. I recognized him from before, it was Nikolas. He had his large sword out and walked right over to Jacob. He cut him down his side.

"Wakey wakey," he said. Yet, Jake didn't move. I squinted my eyes to try to see what was going on. Nikolas slapped him. "Wake up bastard," but again, Jake's head just shifted side to side from the movement.

My stomach dropped. Nikolas stepped to the side and I was able to see Jake's cut. It was still there. Normally, Jake's cuts would heal within seconds, but this one wasn't. But he wasn't dead, not yet at least, the cut was still bleeding. It must mean his powers were depleted. I held my breath as the cut, thankfully, slowly began to knit itself back together. But the healing was weak and slow. He wouldn't last.

I jumped as an explosion went off outside the cave, rattling the rocks inside. Wait, an explosion? Nikolas was rocked backward, and he dropped his sword looking confused. He grunted and ran outside as another explosion rocked the cave.

This had to be a rescue attempt. I couldn't fathom it being anything else. Even if it wasn't, Jake didn't have any more time. We had to get out of here.

"Jake," I yelled. He didn't stir. "Jacob Scheper!" This time he let out a loud groan. Okay, so he was awake. I glanced at his cut and it had finally fully healed. "We need to get out of here."

"Can't," he mumbled. "Too weak, hurts."

"Yeah, well, this is it. We have to leave, now," another explosion rocked the cave.

Who's plan had this been? I slowly began to crawl over to Nikolas's dropped sword, praying to all the gods he wouldn't come back. My chains pulled against the wall. I stretched as wide as I could, but the sword was just out of my reach.

" _Di immortals,_ " I cursed under my breath as Jake swayed to the side again.

"Annabeth? Jake?" Piper called out.

I snapped my head up. Thank the gods. Piper would find us, we were in the same cavern as Jake was before. But Piper hadn't been on that mission.

"In here" I tried to yell, but my voice was weak from the lack of food.

"Anyone?" Piper called out again.

"Piper," I called out. Still nothing. I took a deep breath. "Piper!"  
"Annabeth?" she asked. Thankfully, my voice had been able to guide her into the cavern. "Annabeth!" Piper saw me and ran over placing her hands on either side of my face and giving me Ambrosia.

"No, Jake," I said gesturing to him.

Piper nodded and kicked the sword over to me as she began to cut Jacob down. I cut the chains off of my legs and let out a sigh finally free. Piper fed Jake some ambrosia and nectar, but he just grunted.

"Eat," Piper ordered. Even in his depleted state, Piper's charm speak had power over him. He chewed the ambrosia slowly and swallowed. He was already starting to look better.

I tried to stand up but yelled out. Piper's eyes went wide, and she quickly finished cutting Jake down, lowering him lightly to the floor as he healed more. She rushed over to me.

"What hurts?" She asked and I pointed to my broken leg. She gingerly touched it, and I winced. "I'm no doctor, but that's definitely broken. It's healed, but not correctly. We'll have to set it again when we get back to camp."

"Allie?" Jake asked.

"Your fiancé is back at camp, safe. Chiron wouldn't risk a mortal getting hurt," Piper said, and Jake let out a sigh and looked calmer.

"And Percy?" I asked.

Piper smiled. "He's out there, helping us win. We're hoping this will be one of the last battles of this short-lived war." Piper paused. "But now, we need to get you two back to camp. Can you two walk?"

Just then, Jake went into a coughing fit. Piper ran over. " _Di immortals_ ," she cursed. Jake's hand came back red with blood. "He must have internal bleeding but why isn't he healing?"

"They've been depleting his powers," I told her. "They've been working him too hard. He hasn't had time to recharge."

"We need to get out of here now," Piper said and helped Jacob up, supporting most of his weight. "Annabeth, let's go."

I tried to stand again, but my vision turned blurry. I fell to the floor. "I, I can't." Piper's eyes went wide as Jake coughed up more blood. "Go," I said. "I'll be fine. He needs medical attention now, my leg doesn't." I could tell Piper didn't want to leave me. "Go," I ordered. Piper sighed and began to go.

Percy POV

The fight wasn't our best performance, but it was going well. The demigods were trained well in their respective powers but had no idea how to fight against a pack of other demigods. Well, highly trained and skilled demigods, most of whom had fought in two wars and countless other battles.

Each of my friends was holding their own, whether it was fighting another demigod or killing the monsters that were arriving. My friends had also been right. This was truly a desert. If I tried to pull from my water powers, I would be useless in a few minutes. The sand would dry me up. I had to rely on my swordsmanship for now which was still pretty good.

They weren't going to stand a chance. The only issue was the Titans weren't present. They had been the ones I wanted to go after. They wanted to destroy my home, wanted to kill my friends. They should be the ones paying for all this.

A minute later, Piper came out of the cave. I ran over anxious to see Annabeth, but it was only Jake who was looking terrible. Nico ran over as well.

"He's coughing up blood," Piper said quickly. "He needs help, now."

"Where's Annabeth?" I asked.

Piper sighed. "She's still in there. She's fine, she just has a broken leg and can't walk. I could only help one at a time, and Jake," she trailed off. Jake was the one who needed help.

Nico wrapped his arm around Jake. "I'll bring him back to camp, then I'll be back to get Annabeth."

Piper shook her head. "Just get him there safely. We can get Annabeth back okay, Will may need help with Jacob and when Allie sees Jacob like this, just be there."

I nodded. "We'll manage, go." And they were off. "I'll go get Annabeth," I said, but then the tides turned.

"Perseus Jackson," a chill went down my spine. All the fighting stopped. I slowly turned to see who had addressed me. It was Bia, standing tall along with her brother, Kratos.

"I'll go get Annabeth," Piper whispered. "We can't get them now, we're too worn down. Distract them until we can go." I nodded slowly and held my sword up.

"It's nice to see you in action, you live up to your reputation," Kratos said.

"Oh? The one where I kill monsters and win the wars?" I asked. The two Titans just laughed. My friends started to back up and stood behind me.

"Your confident nature as well, you aren't the same boy who killed the minotaur those years ago," Bia scoffed.

I shook my head. "No, I'm not. I'm better, stronger, smarter."

"No, you aren't," Bia laughed. I tightened my jaw. "You've put on more armor, that is true. But underneath it all, you are still that boy who Poseidon abandoned."

I shifted my sword. "Do you want to test that theory?"

"See? Your cockiness makes you different now, Perseus. But we don't need to hurt you physically to make you feel pain," Bia laughed, and I faltered. "Oh, yes."

"Don't let them get to you Percy," Hazel said behind me, but I could hear her voice shaking.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We were told you were the only person who could defeat us, so we've been building our army against you. Why do you think we are in a desert, son of Poseidon?" Bia paraded her arms about. "Why do you think we have built up an army of demigods? We know you could never kill one of your own."

Where was Piper with Annabeth? She was taking too long. "It doesn't matter. We will beat you. We're stronger than you."

Kratos laughed. "Tell him."

Bia's eyes darkened if it was even possible to make them darker. "Who do you think sent the monsters after your child?"

I took a step back. "What?"  
Bia smirked. "We have someone who can see through Iris Messages. It was unfortunate she got to camp, but we could monitor her easily from there. How do you think that Cyclops got into camp anyway?" The world felt like it was falling out underneath me. "Oh yes, Perseus Jackson, your child dying wasn't a freak accident. It was to go after you."

"Wait," a girl stepped out of the ranks behind the Titans. "You used my powers to help kill a baby?" This must be the girl with the Iris Messaging powers, Agnes if I could remember right.

Bia rolled her eyes. "You knew we were going after Jackson."

"Yes, but a child?" The girl's face fell. She dropped her sword and held her hands up. "I'm done."

She ran over to us. She stopped right in front of me. This girl couldn't have been more than sixteen. "I'm sorry. If I would have known," I stopped her.

"War can make people do regrettable things," I swallowed. "We'll take you back to camp, we can talk there." She nodded and walked behind me.

"Wow, you can forgive this girl for killing your child, what was his name, Jayce?" Bia cocked her head.

"She's just a child and you don't get to say his name," I was getting angrier.

"Well, son of Poseidon, what are you waiting for?" Bia laughed. "An invitation to try to kill us?"

That's when I saw Piper come out of the cave with a limping Annabeth behind her. My chest filled with joy. Yes, Annabeth didn't look the best, but she was alive.

"That," I said, and we all began to run back to our Pegasus. I ran over to Annabeth and swooped my arms under her leg to run back. "Wise Girl," I smiled and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain. You weren't worried about me, were you?" she smirked.

"Like you wouldn't believe," I smiled helping her onto the Pegasus.

But Bia and Kratos weren't going to let us go without a fight. Leo was throwing fireballs at them, but I could tell it was wearing him out. That's when something unexpected happened. Allie mentioned that one of their demigods had Leo's powers as well, and he stepped out in front of the Titans.

"You're treating us as pawns," he was glowing. "Let them go," he was distracting them.

We were up in the air in the next moment just as Bia stabbed a sword straight through his torso, killing him instantly. I grimaced but didn't look back.

I held Annabeth tight to my chest as we flew back to camp. Tears came to my eyes. "I'm glad you're okay."

She started to fall asleep against my chest. "Me too," she mumbled.

I let out a laugh and kissed her hair. "Relax, Wise Girl, sleep. I got you," and in the next moment, she was sleeping. Gods, I was glad to have her back.

Allie POV

I was pacing back and forth outside the arena. Will, Calypso, Rachel, Andrea and I were all waiting for everyone to return. Yet, I couldn't stop pacing.

"Allie," Will stood up and touched my arm. "Sit down."

I sighed and sat on one of the nearby chairs we had set up. "I'm sorry, I'm just," but Calypso answered for me.

"Anxious? Nervous?" she questioned rubbing her stomach.

I gulped. "I'm sorry, I know Leo is out there too. And Nico, and everyone." I slumped back into my chair.

"We just have to be ready for when they get back. That's all we can do," Will assured.

"This is my fault," Andrea piped in.

"How could you say that?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I should've fought back earlier. I should've been the one to stay behind at the mansion, so you would have Jake back," she said teary-eyed.

"Oh, honey," I placed my hand on her arm. "We would never have done that. It's scary that Annabeth and Jake are there, but we would have been scared if you were there too." I was about to continue when a flash of white light appeared. We quickly covered our eyes until the light subsided.

"Dad?" Will questioned. I opened my eyes and saw Apollo standing there.

He let out a brilliant white smile. "Hello, son."

"Nice to see you, Lester," Calypso let out a smirk.

"Ah, hello Calypso," Apollo said. I rose my eyebrow and Apollo smiled. "From my time as a mortal." Oh, yeah, I had briefly heard that Zeus had punished Apollo by turning him mortal. Gods, would I have loved to see that.

Apollo turned towards me. "And my favorite future daughter-in-law, Allison, it's nice to see you again."

"As to you, Lord Apollo, but may I ask why you are here?" I quirked my brow.

He coughed and Rachel sighed. "It's Jake, he's in trouble, isn't he?"

Apollo nodded slowly. "I'm afraid he is, but I'm here to help."

"Gods aren't supposed to interfere with mortal lives, especially their children," Rachel argued.

"Jupiter thought it would be fine to make an exception, this one time," Apollo said, and I began to shake. I placed my hand on my chest, if Apollo was here, that must mean it was bad. Like it was really bad. Apollo quickly sat down next to me. "Don't fret dear, it's bad, yes, but fixable."

"Why didn't he just heal?" I said teary-eyed.

Apollo sighed and dropped my arms. "His powers have been depleted over the week. He doesn't have enough energy right now and he has internal damage."

I placed my hand over my mouth, still shaking. I'm normally steady under pressure, but with Jake, nothing was ever normal. Apollo turned his attention from me to Andrea. "And you must be Andrea."

She gulped. "And your Apollo? My dad?"

He smiled. "Yes dear. I'm so sorry about what happened to you and your mother. I was a mortal at the time and wasn't aware. Otherwise, I swear I would have helped." He clapped his hands together. "They are almost here, we need to make the infirmary an operating room. Will, you finished medical school, correct?"

He nodded. "But we can't make it sterile."

Apollo shook his hand dismissive. "I'll take care of that. You'll assist me. Allison, we will need your help as well."

I took a deep breath and tried to regain myself. "I can't."

"You work at a hospital, correct?" Apollo seemed confused.

"Yes, but as an administrator, not a doctor," I said.

He shrugged. "You've seen surgeries, you'll be fine."

I was about to object, but just then Nico and Jake appeared. My heart dropped. I ran over to him.

"Jake," I helped Nico support him.

"Where should he go?" Nico asked his fiancé but paused when he saw Apollo.

"The infirmary," Apollo answered for Will. "But we need to act quickly. He won't make it long unless we act now."

Just then, a couple of Apollo children came over with a gurney. Will had prepared everyone for what could happen when Jake and Annabeth came back. They laid him on a stretcher, and I touched his face, but he remained unconscious.

I ran with them, "Where's Annabeth?" I asked while running.

"She hurt her leg, Piper couldn't help them both out right away. She'll be fine, but she's coming back with the others," Nico said.

We finally made it into the infirmary, but it was transformed. It did indeed look like one of the ones from the hospital I worked at. I hadn't seen many surgeries, but a few of the higher end ones. Once inside, Apollo snapped his fingers and we were all in scrubs. I had to blink a few times to feel the gloves and my new outfit.

Jake was on the table and began to stir. "Son, you'll need to start him on anesthesia. Allie, please sit at the head of the table and keep him calm."

I nodded and pulled up a chair and ran my gloved hand through Jake's hair. He began to twist, and I spoke softly. "Shh, love, it's okay. I'm right here."

"Allie?" he mumbled.

"Yes, love. Just relax. Your dad and Will are here. You're hurt and aren't healing properly, but they'll help you," I said through tears.

"Allie," his head fell to one side and suddenly the monitor began to beep like crazy.

"What's happening?" I yelled.

"He's not breathing, Will you need to intubate him now," Apollo said, and Will quickly shoved a tube down Jake's throat.

I had to fight back my sobs. This was Jake, he could heal himself. I never even had to imagine him in surgery. Sure, possibly hurt or hurting from healing others, but never on an operating table. This was new and terrifying.

Thankfully, once the tube was down his throat, his vitals improved. I dropped my head to the table and let out a small prayer. I could hear Apollo chuckle.

"There's no need to pray to me dear, I'm right here," he said.

If the situation was different, I may have blushed. "Right sorry, just habit."

Apollo nodded. "Understandable. Just stay there, Will and I will take care of your fiancé. Just keep talking to him, it'll help keep him strong."

I nodded and tried not to yell out as Will dug a scalpel into Jake's midsection. I instead turned my attention to Jake. To his face which looked almost normal. A little paler than usual and more stubbly but otherwise the same. You know, besides the tube sticking out of his mouth that was keeping him breathing.

"Hey Jake," I said softly. "It's me, gods I've missed you these last few months when I was gone, then the last few days when you switched places with me," I laughed. "Or even before that these last eight years. We need to stop disappearing from each other."

I lifted my mask up and kissed the top of his forehead. "I love you. You need to make it through this. We've been engaged for so long, we should finally actually get married soon." I smiled. "How does that sound? When you make it through this, we'll finally have our wedding?"

But then the monitor went off again. "What's going on now?" I cried.

I looked up and Apollo and Will were standing away from Jake. Their gloves were bloody, but they looked triumphant.

"Are you going to stand there or do something?" I asked. But then Jake's vitals began to stabilize. I let out a cry of relief and lightly kissed his forehead.

"He should make it out, he'll just need some rest," Apollo stated. "We can move him to another part of the infirmary. And Allie?" I looked up at him. "Make sure I get an invite to the wedding," he smiled. I laughed cried a nod.

Thirty minutes later, I was sitting next to Jake. Thankfully, I was able to get out of the scrubs and hold Jake's hand without gloves on. There's a reason why I'm just a hospital administrator and not an actual doctor. I sat holding Jake's hand and talking to him waiting for him to wake up.

"Jacob Scheper, you better wake up soon," I rubbed his cheek. "I miss your voice and your bright eyes."

I heard a knock at the door and saw Percy holding two cups. "Hey, I thought I heard you in here."

I let out a sigh of relief. "You're back."

He raised an eyebrow. "Did you ever doubt I would?"

"You can't predict everything that will happen," I concurred. I bit my lip. "Is everyone okay? Nico said Annabeth broke her leg, is she alright?"

Percy nodded. "We got back to camp and Apollo like, touched her forehead, and her leg was fine. Everyone else is okay too. Coffee?"

I nodded and accepted the cup. "Seriously, what is it with gods and their powers? He can just touch Annabeth and fix her leg, but he physically had to cut Jacob open to fix him." I took a sip of the coffee and shut my eyes breathing in the aroma.

Percy laughed. "Reyna brought that from Camp Jupiter. She said it was your favorite."

"Thank you," I sighed and turned back to my fiancé. "Now we just have to wait."

And waiting we did. Jake stayed that way for the next three days. No change whatsoever in his vitals. I sat next to him the whole time, dozing off only a few times briefly when I couldn't keep my eyes open.

Reyna, Annabeth, and Percy took turns sitting with me. Sometimes it was all of them, other times just one or two of them. But they never let me be alone with them. I knew they were afraid I would break down, and they wanted to be there for me if that happened.

I started dozing off one time when Reyna and Percy were in the room with me. "Allie," Percy said, and I snapped awake. "Why don't you go and get some rest? Reyna and I can watch him and come and get you if anything changes."

I shook my head and Reyna sighed as well. "This happened the last time he was really hurt too," Reyna said. "When they both were. We couldn't move them apart. Each time, one of their vitals would decline until they were together again."

"We were 16 then, now ten years later, we're still the same. But now, Jake's the one hurt, and I'm fine," I sighed. "Jacob, please, just wake up."

That night, Annabeth came to relieve Percy and Reyna. Percy tried to protest and say he could say, but Annabeth wouldn't have it. He sighed and went back to his cabin to sleep.

"Are you doing okay?" Annabeth asked me, pulling a chair up. She sighed. "I know that's a dumb question."

I shrugged. "The best I can be." I leaned into Jake and ran my hand down his cheek. "I just wish I could be there with him. It's like he's just been sleeping. I want to sleep next to him, curled up in his chest."

"I don't see why not," Annabeth said, and I snapped my head towards her. She continued, "He's not physically hurt anymore, right? We are just waiting for him to regain consciousness. You won't hurt him, and it would make both of you happier. Try it."

I cautiously pulled the blanket back and crawled into bed with Jake. It wasn't very big, but it was work. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his chest. I felt tears coming to my eyes and I shut them quickly. Just then, I felt a sigh.

I shot up quickly and Annabeth quirked her head too. "Did he just?"  
"He moved," Annabeth nodded. "Or, at least acknowledged you."

"Should we get Will?" I asked.

Annabeth shook her head. "There's no point. Just sleep, maybe being right next to him

will help."

I nodded and fell asleep against my fiancé's chest. I woke up the next morning with someone running their hands through my hair. I slowly blinked my eyes open trying to remember last night. I fell asleep on Jake's chest, so did that mean?

I shot up, sitting up straight to turn around. There, with his bright smile, was my fiancé, alive and awake.

"Someone's happy to see you," Percy said from behind me.

I grabbed Jake's neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. When I pulled away, he had that amazing smile on his face still.

"Did you miss me or something?" Jake smirked.

I had to swallow back tears. "You know I did."

He pulled me in again and kissed my head. "I know love. I guess I just needed a little more rest."

"Don't stop moving, or talking," I muttered softly. "I want to make sure you're actually awake."

Jake laughed and I could feel it against my back, but he didn't stop rubbing my arm. I gazed at the small crowd that had gathered. Reyna, Annabeth, Percy, and Will were all standing around Jake's bed.

"Jake's vital look impeccable. He'll be just fine, should be able to walk out of here whenever he wants," Will smiled.

Jake kissed my head again. "Then we'll get married."

I turned around and faced my fiancé. "Excuse me?"

He quirked his eyebrow. "I wasn't 100% out of it during the surgery. I seem to remember you saying that when I got out of this, we could have our wedding."  
"We can start planning it," I said.

Jake shook his head. "I want to have it, now. Do you know what next week is?"

I smiled. "Our ten-year anniversary, you know, minus the years I thought you were dead."

"I want us to get married on the day I finally kissed you," Jake said.

"That's in a week!" I argued.

Jake shrugged. "Unless you want something big, but I just need you and our friends."

"You two always loved that hill at Camp Jupiter," Reyna chimed in. "You can have it there if you want."  
"And Percy and I can help you plan," Annabeth added. "I've never planned a wedding before, but I can be very organized."

I swallowed. "Are we doing this? Finally, actually getting married?"

Jake kissed me. "I think we are."

 **Yay! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**


	16. Chapter 16

Percy POV

Annabeth and I laid in bed as I was playing with her hair. Her head was against my chest and she was running circles around it. We were both exhausted from our long day.

"Who knew planning a wedding would be so hard?" I complained then threw my hands up in the air. "And it's not even our own!"

Annabeth let out a light laugh. "They could use the help," she said.

I sighed. "I know. It's going to be great, no matter what."

"They're like us Percy. They've known each other since they were young and have been through so much together. They don't hold any secrets," she said.

I shouldn't have said anything, but I couldn't help myself. "Well, Allie does have one secret."

Annabeth stopped running circles along my chest. "What secret?"

I sighed and began to talk fast. "Juno. Well, she doesn't _really know,_ only when Juno comes to visit her. Allie hasn't told Jake about it, but she barely knows herself. And she says they just have a weird relationship, but I'm pretty sure Juno is in love with her."

Annabeth shot up to sitting and placed her hand flat on my chest. "Slow down, Seaweed Brain. Juno's in love with her?"

I gulped and nodded, sitting up. "When Allie was younger, she was kidnapped and taken to Mount Olympus. She was given a choice, stay at Camp Jupiter and have love, but also pain. Or forget everything happened and go back to the mortal world."

"And she obviously chose to not forget?" Annabeth asked.

I nodded. "Apparently, after the ordeal, Juno took pity on her. She visits Allie time to time but erases her memory after the fact. I saw them the last time she visited. Allie explained what she could to me but said Jake didn't know."

"And what makes you think Juno loves her?" Annabeth rose an eyebrow.

I shrugged. "The way she looks at her. Allie swears it's not like that, but why would Juno care otherwise?"

She shook her head. "Love, maybe you are reading too much into this. Let's just go to bed," she closed her eyes and laid back down.

I sighed and followed suit, but I couldn't push the thought out of my mind. "If someone else were in love with me, would you want to know?"

Annabeth took a sharp intake of breath. "Yes, Percy, I would."

"Why?" I asked.

She placed her head on my shoulder. "I don't know. To hold you closer? To know," she swallowed. "I would just want to know."

I sighed and with that thought, I lulled to sleep.

Jake POV

Allie threw the list down and groaned. I laughed and gently rubbed her back as she placed her head on the table. Annabeth and Percy looked up from what they were doing.

"Why is planning a wedding so hard?" Allie groaned.

"It was you two who wanted to plan this in a week," Annabeth shrugged.

"Yeah, but it was supposed to small and easy," Allie sighed.

"Small doesn't mean easy, it's still a wedding," Percy said.

Allie lifted her head up from the table and I dropped my arm. "Hey, love, just think we have most of it all planned out. Reyna will get Camp Jupiter set up and we are having our reception there too. We have the food, flowers, and venue."

"Yeah, now we need to finish the invitations, find my wedding dress, and," but I cut her off with a kiss.

"Love, we'll figure it all out. It's still five days out," I smiled.

"How are you so calm?" Allie protested.

"Because all I care about it marrying you," I said.

"If you get more nervous, all you have to do is ask us," Percy said. Allie's eyes darted over. "Why else would we be helping?"

"To practice for your own wedding," I smirked and the two of them blushed.

Annabeth coughed and changed the subject. "Who else do you want to invite? What about your parents Allie?" Annabeth asked.

Allie paused and shut her eyes. I instantly took her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She opened her eyes again, but I could see them tearing up. "No."

"No? Why wouldn't you want your parents to come to your wedding?" Percy asked.

"I want them to. It's just, my parents don't know about me." Allie said.  
"Don't know about what?" Percy set down his list.

Allie let out a sad smile. "Like, me."

"Like, that Jake's a demigod? Or what?" Annabeth cocked her head. "When we first met, you said you knew who your parents were."

"I do," Allie managed out. "Steve and Debra. But they don't know who I am."

"I'm so confused," Percy shook his head.

I was still holding Allie's hand and she began to play with my fingers. "Why do you think Jake and I lived together when we were so young?"

"Because you love each other?" Percy supplied.

She let out a forced laugh. "Yes, but what parent would let their 16-year-old daughter live with her boyfriend?" She sighed. "Jake's mom died, and my parents don't know me. That's just how it is."

Annabeth titled her head. "I'm still not following."

I lifted Allie's hand to my lips and placed a kiss on her palm. "Love, should we tell them the story?"

Allie sighed. "Yeah."

 _Ten Years Ago_

"Jacob, honey, would you like anything to eat?" Allie's mother asked.

Allie just rolled her eyes and fidgeted with her ponytail. Gods, I can't believe this girl was mine. "No thank you, Mrs. Andrews."

"Nothing to drink or anything?" Allie's father pushed.

Allie and I were trying to do homework on her kitchen table, but her parents were excessively hovering over. Allie was shifting constantly and sat away from me. I hated for her to be so far away.

"Mom, dad," Allie groaned. "You can leave, we are just doing homework." They didn't move a muscle. "It's just Jake."

I feigned offense and placed my hand over my heart. "Just Jake? Wow, I'm offended."

Allie rolled her eyes at me. "You know what I mean."

Allie's mom crossed her arms. "It's not the same honey. Jake was your friend before, but now that you two are dating."

"Ah," Allie placed her head in her hands, and I laughed. "I should have never told you guys!"

"Oh, sweetie, it was inevitable. The way he looks at you," Mrs. Andrews smiled. "I'm surprised this hadn't happened sooner."  
Allie just continued to shake her head and her father added in. "I mean, when you wanted to go to a summer camp with this boy from school, we had our doubts. But you two have gotten so close."

Allie lifted her head and pleaded with me. I shook my head and laughed. "Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, we really are just doing our homework. Tonight, when I pick up Allie for our date," she started to blush, "that's when you can hound me."

Mr. Andrews titled his head. "I can agree to that."

"Will you please leave then?" Allie groaned.

Mrs. Andrews through her hand up. "Okay, we'll go," and they were off.

Allie sighed and finally stopped fidgeting. I reached across the table and grabbed her hand while she gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, my parents can be so," but I stopped her.

"Protective? Caring?" I supplied. "Your parents love you, there's nothing wrong with that."

"I know, it's just weird to think that we are dating now things are different. They don't feel like it," she shrugged.

"Oh really?" I scooted my way over to her. "Nothing's different?" she rose her eyebrow but didn't say anything. I leaned in close. "I can do this anytime I want now," and I sealed our distance with a kiss. I pulled apart and Allie was blushing like crazy.

"Save the romance for tonight. We need to get our homework done," she nudged me.

"It's hard to think about homework when we are in the middle of a war," I said.

Allie nodded. "I know. But we have to try to keep the limited normalcy we have."

I sighed. "Okay, so onto those quadratic equations."

Later that night, I came back dressed up and knocked on the door. Allie's dad was the first to answer it. He smiled and gestured for me to come in. I was shaking like crazy.

"Are those flowers for my daughter?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Actually, for your wife, sir." Gods, why was I so nervous around them all of a sudden?

Mrs. Andrews suddenly appeared, and I handed her the flowers. "Wow, Jacob, what a gentleman." I smiled, but it was hard to form words.

Then Allie came downstairs, and I was truly at a loss for words. She was wearing a high-low dark purple dress. Gods, had I seen her in a dress before? Her hair was curled and up in a loose bun with a few curls coming out. She was wearing subtle makeup that highlighted her every feature. She looked stunning.

She made her way down and stood by her parents. "Hi," she muttered softly.

I gulped. "Hey," was all I could say.

She shifted in her steps. "We should, we should get going," she told her parents.

"Make sure she's back by ten," Allie's dad said.

"Dad!" she protested.

"Midnight is fine dear," Mrs. Andrews said. "Have a great night."

I stood opening the door for Allie and we walked outside. I shakenly opened the passenger door for her as she got in. We barely talked on the way to the restaurant.

We got seated, and I was still shaking. Allie placed her hand on mine and smiled. "Jacob, it's just me."

I gulped again. "I know," but I knew I wasn't very convincing. Allie gave me a side-look. "It's just, this is our first real date out in the real world. I want it to be perfect."

Allie smiled. "It is because I'm with you." She stood up and gave me a passionate kiss on the lips and my shoulders softened. She sat back down and grinned. "Calmer?"

I nodded. The date itself turned out great. We had a great meal and just got to be together, away from all the drama of camp. Preparing for a war took a lot out of everybody.

After our evening was over, I dropped Allie off. I walked her to the door and gave her one last kiss.

"Thank you for tonight," she smiled, eyes still closed close to my face.

I smiled back. "Anytime." We were lost in our world when we heard a crash and scream from inside. Allie tensed against my arms.

I opened my arms and her face fell. "Please tell me it's not what I think it is."

Allie pulled a long dagger from under her dress and I turned my necklace into a bow and arrow. I placed an arrow in and nodded to Allie. She slowly opened the door. Once inside, we reluctantly split up.

I held my bow up, but nothing seemed to be amiss. That was until I heard Allie talking.

"Let them go," I heard her call out. I hustled over to the other side of her house, where she was in the kitchen. My heart dropped when I saw the scene before me.

Allie held her dagger high, but there was something very amiss. Mr. Andrews lay withering on the floor. Standing above him was a creature with snakes on her head, a gorgon, holding Mrs. Andrews who was crying and shaking profusely.

"Oh sssssweetie, now, why would I do that?" The gorgon purred. She raked her hands through Mrs. Andrews hair, and she cried out.

I could see the scene unfold, but I needed just the right angle to hit the gorgon and not Allie's mom. I knew Allie could see me out of the corner of her eye, and she tried to keep the gorgon distracted.

"She's nothing, you don't need her," she tried to defend but the gorgon just swayed.

"Allison," her mom called out. Allie's face fell. "What's going on?"

"Mom," Allie's voice broke. "It'll be alright."

"Will it though?" the creature hissed.

"There's nothing here for you," Allie urged. "I'm just a mortal."

"Just?" the gorgon laughed. "You mean a lot to the legion. Your future is preciousssss my darling." The gorgon sniffed. "Oh, sssssson of Apollo, you can come out from where you're hiding."

Allie glanced over at me and nodded. The jig was up. I held my bow steady. "Let them go, it's me you want."

The creature scoffed. "It's all of you I want. The legion will fall."

I needed to get her off of Allie. I rolled up my sleeve. "See this? I have a tattoo, she doesn't. It's me you want." I knew this fact hurt Allie, but I had to get her away.

"That'ssss becaussssssse ssssssshe's mortal," she slurred. "She's just as much part of the legion as you are."

"Mortal? Allison, what's going on?" Mrs. Andrews squirmed.

"Mom, it'll be fine," Allie tried to reassure her, but it was hard in the situation.

That's when we made our moves. Allie charged toward the monster. The creature threw Mrs. Andrews aside, but that freed up space to fight. Allie was doing pretty well on her own, I just needed an opening.

The creature scratched Allie's arm and she yelled out in pain. The creature thought she was triumphant, but that gave me my opening. I let my arrow fly and the creature dissolved into golden dust.

I ran over to Allie and grabbed her arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it's my parents I'm worried about," we ran over to them.

Mr. Andrews was still lying flat on the ground and Mrs. Andrews was curled up in a ball rocking back and forth.

"Mom," Allie shook her mother. "What happened? Did she touch dad?"

Yet, Mrs. Andrews just kept shaking. "Monster, it was a monster."

"Mom," Allie said softly.

I placed my hand on Mr. Andrews arm and felt a surge go through my body. "Allie, he's having a heart attack," I said.

She placed her hand over her mouth. "Oh, my gods."

"Call 911, I can't do anything about it. I swear I would if I could." I said and she nodded quickly dialing the number.

She hurried back down on the floor, trying to comfort her mom. "They are on their way."

"Monsters, not the monsters," Mrs. Andrews freaked out.

"No mom, the ambulance," Allie sighed. "Jake, can you pull the mist over her eyes more?"

I snapped my fingers, but nothing happened. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at it. I can IM Jason, he's always been good at it."

She nodded quickly. An hour later, we were at a nearby hospital. I gave Allie my jacket to cover her shoulders, but I don't think the cold bothered her. She kept pacing back and forth in the waiting room. There got to a point where a nurse came over and told her to sit down. Now, she was leaning against me in a chair as I ran my hand up and down her arm.

"They'll be okay," I said as I kissed her hair that had completely fallen out of her bun.

"But what if they're not," she mumbled.

At some point, Allie had fallen asleep against me. I didn't stop running my hands through her hair as she slept. She had once, blushing I may add, told me this was one of her favorite ways to sleep. Against my chest, me running her hands through her hair. One quest she snuck on, this was the only way she would sleep at night. Knowing I was there had calmed her, and I hoped that was helping tonight.

A few minutes later, I saw Jason run into the hospital. Trying not to wake Allie, I waved my free arm until he saw me. He walked over and sat on a seat across from me.

"If this wasn't a dire situation, I would point out how cute you two look together," Jason smirked his scar bouncing with his smile.

"I think you just did," I returned.

"But seriously, are you guys okay?" he leaned in.

I nodded. "Allie just got a cut but held her own."

"And I'm assuming you already healed that?" Jason quirked an eyebrow. I sighed and nodded. "You know she hates that."

"What was I supposed to do? Let her have a cut on her arm when I could heal it easily?" Jason just stared at me, waiting for me to continue. "It's not Allie I'm worried about, it's her parents. Her mom's been going crazy and her dad's in surgery."

"And you want me to pull the mist over her mom's eyes?" Jason asked.

I nodded. "Maybe her dad's too. I'm not sure how much he saw either."

We were going to continue, but I saw the nurse from earlier head over. I jostled Allie lightly. "Allie, the nurse is here again."

She blinked her eyes open and sat up slowly. "Jason? When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago," he said letting out a sad smile.

"Ms. Andrews?" the nurse inquired.

"Yes," Allie replied.

"Would you like to talk, alone?" the nurse seemed to suggest.

Allie quickly grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. "They're my friends, I want them here."

The nurse sighed but nodded. "Your father's out of surgery. He should be fine, he'll just need rest. He should be waking up at any moment, I can take you to go see him." Allie let out a sigh and I gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Your mother on the other hand."

"She wasn't hurt," Allie said quickly.

The nurse shook her head. "Not physically, no. But the burglar," the story we had given, "seemed to strike a psychotic episode. Does your mother have a history of mental illness?"

Allie shook her head. "What do you mean?"

"She keeps talking about the monsters coming to kill her, has this happened before?" The nurse questioned.

Allie used her free hand to wipe tears away. "Not that I'm aware of."

"It'll be something you'll have to keep a close eye on. She's sedated, but you can come back and see them both now."

Allie nodded. "Can they, can they come with me?"

"We normally only allow family back," the nurse began.

"They're like family to me," Allie countered. "Please, I can't be alone right now."

"We can make an expectation, follow me."

Allie stayed silent as we walked through the hospital. Finally, we were at her parents' room.

"I'll be here, just let me know when you need me," Jason told Allie. She wouldn't let go of my arm.

"Will you come in with me?" she asked.

"Of course," I said, and she slowly went into the room.

We sat down on two chairs provided and waited. It took a few minutes for her dad to start waking up, and once he did Allie rushed over to his bedside.

"Allison?" he questioned. Then things seemed to come rushing back. "There was a monster in our house. She was looking for you. She wanted to hurt you."

"Shh, daddy, it's okay," Allie began to cry.

Mr. Andrews began to sit up in bed and I rushed over to help him. He gave me a sideways glance and spoke once I was done. "She mentioned you too. She called you a son of Apollo."  
Allie gulped. "Daddy, I think you may have hit your head on the way down."

"I know what I saw." He replied quickly.

That's when Mrs. Andrew awoke as well. "Monsters," she said. "There was a monster."

"Mommy," Allie spread her arms out, so she was touching both her parents. I hated to see her in so much pain. "I think you must have both hit your heads."

But Mrs. Andrews was additament. "No, she had her snakes slither around my head. And you two killed her."

"Wait," Mr. Andrews sat up straighter. "You killed her? You two know how to kill monsters."

Allie shook her head. "There's so much you don't know, dad."

"You're meaning to tell me that these last few years, you've done this before?" Allie didn't say anything but nodded. He fell back into his bed. "Now I'm sure my heart is going to give out."

"Dad, no, please." Allie was fighting every urge.

"Have you been attacked before?" Mr. Andrews asked. When Allie didn't reply, he repeated, "have you been hurt?"

Allie sighed, then nodded. "There's so much you don't know."

But he held his hand up. "You can't do this anymore."

Allie shook her head. "You don't understand, there's a war coming."

"And you're going to be in the middle of it? Doing what? You're sixteen!"

"Sir, Allie can handle herself," I began, but I think I only made the situation worse.

"And I'm sure you're who dragged her into this mess. She changed after she went off to that summer camp with you," he said. He turned back to his daughter. "And now you've driven your mother mad. I don't know if I can live knowing you're out there, possibly dead from a monster."

Just then, the door opened. Jason walked in slowly and cleared his throat.

"And who the hell is this?" Mr. Andrews contested.

"That's my friend, Jason," Allie said shaking her head standing up to walk over to us. "What is it?"

Jason shifted. "Reyna called," he paused. "It wasn't only your family who got hit tonight. It's like they are trying to drive demigods out. Others were attacked and killed tonight too."

Allie shut her eyes tight. She was thinking, I could see it. "What happens if you cover them with the mist, for the last few hours?"

Jason shrugged. "They get a misty view of what happened. A burglar giving them a big scare."

"And what about if you go back further?" Allie said. "How strong can the mist go?"

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

She opened her eyes and gave me a solemn look. "What if you make it so they don't remember me?"

"Wait, what?" I asked.

Tears were streaming down her eyes. "The monsters will keep coming if I stay, and I can't have my parents worried about me. My mom's already gone crazy from the little information she has."

"It could work, but is this really what you want?" Jason asked.

Allie nodded. "With the war coming up, it'll be better this way," we both stared at her in silence. "You guys don't get it, you can't. Your fathers are gods and your mothers are dead. Mine are both here, mortal and living. I can't have me being the thing holding them back. There's nothing to lose in this war for you."

I squeezed her hand. "That's not true."

She let out a sad smile. "Nothing outside of camp."

Jason sighed. "Okay, but I'll need something to build on."

"My parents had been trying for years before they had me. You can just make me as one of their miscarriages," she sighed.

"Allie," I grabbed her arm as she started to leave the room. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

She stared at me. "If the only way to save me was to make me forget you, would you do it?"

I blinked. "Yes," I replied after a moment. "I would do anything to protect you."

She kissed me on the cheek. "Exactly." She turned to Jason. "Do it."

He nodded and I led Allie outside of the room back into the waiting room. She stayed silent until Jason came back.

"I think it worked," he said.

"Think?" Allie sat up quickly. "Jason, I need you to be sure."

"Go back and see if they recognize you," Jason said. "If they don't, we'll know it worked."

"I can't, I can't do that," Allie shut her eyes. "I'm barely holding it together now. I can't see them."

"I'll do it," I said fast. "They know me. If they don't, we know it worked." I stood up and whispered to Jason, "Stay with her." He nodded as I headed back to the room.

I knocked lightly on the door. "Mr. and Mrs. Andrews?" They shook a daze out of their eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"What, what happened?" Mrs. Andrews asked.

I gulped and grabbed the chart near them. "A burglar, you two hit your heads pretty hard."

They nodded in unison. "A burglar," they said.

"Is there any next of kin you want me to contact?" I asked. Gods, this was it. "Any children or other family members?"

Mr. Andrew laughed. "No children, it's just the two of us." I gulped. It had worked.

"I'll let the doctor know you're awake. She'll be right over." I hurried out of the room. It had worked.

"Well?" Allie stood up anxious.

"It worked," she stared at me. "I'm sorry, but they don't remember you."

Allie swayed but stayed standing. "This is what I wanted, it's what they need." She swallowed. "Can you two help me get my stuff?"

 _Present_

"I stayed at Camp Jupiter until after the war, then Jake and I found our own place," Allie smiled. "So much had happened, my life _was_ the demigod life. And they're just so happy." I gave her a quick squeeze. "So no, no one outside of camp."  
"Allie, I didn't know," Percy said softly.

"Again Perce, it's because I didn't tell you," she smiled.

"I always assumed something happened to them," he added.

Allie shrugged. "I know they're happy and safe and that's all that really matters. Can we finish up with the invitations? We only have five days left until the wedding."

Percy POV

We were finally done writing and sending out the invitations when we all decided to take a break. Allie went to lie down saying all this planning gave her a headache. Jake went off in the opposite direction, saying he needed to polish his weapon. I debated for a few minutes but finally decided to go tell him. Annabeth sighed and followed.

We finally got to the armory where Jake was polishing his arrows.  
"I think Hera, or Juno, whatever, is in love with your fiancé," I blurted out. Annabeth

quickly hit my arm and Jake just rose an eyebrow.

He set down the arrow he was cleaning. "And what makes you say that?"

I gulped. "Just cuz."

Jake sighed. "When did she visit Allie?"

"Wait, what?" I stepped back confused, but Jake was still waiting for an answer. "It was a day before you two got back when you were still kidnapped."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Of course, she would come when I wasn't here."

"Wait, Percy said Allie hasn't told you," Annabeth asked confused. "How do you know?"

"Of course, Allie's told me," Jake looked slightly offended.

"No, she hasn't," I said. "She specifically told me to not tell her or you about it after she forgot. She hasn't told you."

"She did tell me, she just doesn't remember that she did," Jake sighed.

"Back up, please explain," Annabeth asked.

"First off, Percy, you are right," Jake said.

"I knew it! Wait, which part?" I asked. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Juno is in love with Allie," he confirmed.

Annabeth laughed, but Jake didn't change his tone. "Wait, you're serious?"

Jake nodded. "I'm sure Allie told you about her two options when she was kidnapped? To live with the pain but get love or forget and go back to the mortal world?" I nodded. "What she doesn't remember is that she was given a third option. To stay on Mount Olympus and become a goddess, so Juno would have her by her side."

Annabeth's mouth dropped. "Are you serious?"

Jake nodded. "And Juno's been very instrumental in reminding me that Allie gave that up for me."

"I'm so confused, still," I gawked.

Jake shrugged. "It is confusing, but it's part of our story. Juno was okay with us dating but after," he blushed and coughed scratching his head. "After we had sex for the first time, she wasn't as pleased. She made me go through a series of tests to prove I was worthy of Allie."

"And you passed?" I asked.

Jake nodded. "Much to her dismay. After, she had to approve of Allie and me, but she couldn't live with Allie knowing her feelings for her, so she took the memories away."

"Allie swore it wasn't like that," I said.

"For her, it's not. She never returned the feelings, but I know she feels something from Juno, just not to her," Jake said. "I have to admit, it's odd to know someone, especially a god, is in love with the person you love too."

"Hera loving someone, I didn't think it was possible," Annabeth said.

Jake shrugged and smiled. "I get it though, how could you not love Allie? She's perfect."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "You two really are meant to be with each other."

"And now, in five days, we are actually getting married, after all this time," Jake had a quizzical look in his eyes. They deserved so much happiness and something came to mind.

"I have an idea," I said. Jake and Annabeth both cocked their heads and leaned in closer. We were going to make this the best wedding ever.

 **Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. As always, please leave a review!**


	17. Chapter 17

Annabeth POV  
"Allie, you look beautiful," I smiled at her.

Allie stood in front of the mirror on her wedding day. Her brown hair sat up in an elegant bun with a few jewels for decoration. Her makeup was natural, per her request, but it only made her look prettier. She looked perfect in white. She opted for a simpler white dress. It was strapless with an embroidered bodice. The gown grazed the floor with a small train behind her.

"And all you'll need is this," Reyna said attaching her veil.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone happier in my life. Allie's happiness was contagious, and she lit up the whole room. She took a sharp intake of breath and I could see tears starting to form.

"Allison Andrews, none of that!" Reyna tried to coax her out of it, but I could even see light tears of the edges of Reyna's eyes.

"Not Andrews much longer," Piper smiled beside me. "You'll be Mrs. Scheper soon."

"Did you ever think that day when you met me in Camp Jupiter with Jacob, we would be here?" Allie asked Reyna.

Reyna smiled. "I knew you two had something special. And with all you've been through, this day couldn't come soon enough."

"Losing Jake then Jayce," Allie shook her head. "I never thought I would be happy again. I never thought he'd come back."

"You two deserve this," I smiled at her.

"Jason would've loved this," Reyna smiled, and Allie dropped her head looking at her. "No, no more tears. I'm sure he's watching this in Elysium right now, watching you two get married."

There was a soft knock on the door. Percy slid in with one hand over his eyes. "Is everyone decent?"  
I walked over and hit him lightly. "Yes, seaweed brain. You can open your eyes."

Percy smirked and as he opened his eyes, he gave me a quick peck on the cheek. I wrapped my arms around him. "You look stunning, Annabeth," he grinned.

I gave him a quick peck back. I was wearing a short sea-green dress that stopped just above my knee. I actually put on makeup for once and let blonde hair down in curls.

"You don't look too bad yourself," I smiled at my boyfriend.

He was wearing a black suit with a matching sea-green tie. Allie and Jake had decided against bridesmaids or groomsmen, so thankfully we all got to pick our own outfits. Allie would've had Reyna as her maid of honor and probably Piper and me as bridesmaids. Instead, Reyna was officiating the ceremony. Jacob would have had Percy as a groomsman, but I know the only person they wanted as his best man was Jason. He couldn't stand up there, so they had no one.

Percy dropped my arms and turned to the room. I saw him briefly smile at Reyna and Piper, but his jaw dropped when he saw Allie. In the past, I would have been jealous. But I knew Allie and him, their relationship wasn't romantic. And Allie was clearly the stunner in the room.

"Allie," Percy walked over and held her hands.

Allie let go of one of his hands and she did a quick twirl. "How do I look? Okay enough to get married?"

"You look amazing, Allison," Percy smiled.

"Do you think Jake will like it?" Allie asked.

Percy rolled his eyes. "You could get married in a paper bag and Jake would love you. But yes, I think he'll be speechless."

Allie stared into Percy's eyes and they shared a silent conversation. Ever since they lost Jayce, it's something they've been able to do. Percy quickly pulled her into a hug.

"I'm so happy for you. He would've been happy for his mom too," Percy said clearly sensing Allie's feelings. She pulled away but wiped her tears.

"I know!" She yelled to Reyna who was about to interject. "No more tears! I can't promise anything at the alter though."

"We'll all be crying then. Percy, is the groom ready?" Piper asked.

"As he'll ever be," he smirked.

"Is Jake okay?" Reyna questioned.

Percy laughed. "He's nervous as Hades, but I'm sure once he sees Allie, his fear will go away."

"Let's go take our seats then," I remarked pulling Percy out.

"I'll stay with Allie until it's time to go out," Reyna said. Allie mouthed a _thank you._

We hurried over to our seats. Jake and Allie didn't really have any family, so they kept the seats in the front row for close friends. That was of course, besides Apollo. The god indeed had made an appearance at his son's wedding. And just our luck to be seated next to him.

"Hello, Lord Apollo," Percy said extending his hand.

"Perseus and Annabeth!" Apollo smiled at us.

"It's a lovely day for a wedding," I said struggling to make small talk with the god.

He smirked and winked at me. "I may have had something to do with that. Couldn't have my son get married on a cloudy day!"

And the more I realized it, the more I realized it was actually the perfect day. The sun was shining brightly in the sky. The sun reflected off the Roman hill, making everyone almost glow.

The set-up of the wedding was simple, yet elegant. There was a small altar with a white terrace overhead. The chairs were a solid white with a white fabric running down the middle of the aisle. The only other decorations were light purple flowers around to match Allie's bouquet.

Just then, Reyna and Jacob emerged and made their way up to the altar. Percy was right, Jacob looked nervous as Hades. I don't think I'd ever seen him as nervous before. Yet, he looked great in his black tux.

Jake scanned the audience and smiled at each of us. He seemed surprised that his dad had actually come but smiled at him as well. That's when the music began, and we all stood up.

Allie began to walk down the aisle holding her lilac colored bouquet. If I thought she looked happy before, she was even happier now. Her grin lit up the whole area. Yet, I quickly turned my gaze to Jake.

Again, as Percy predicted, his shoulders dropped as soon as he saw his soon-to-be wife. Allie was always calming to him, and it really showed at this moment. Tears began to spring to his eyes and his smile matched Allie's.

She made her way to the front and handed me her bouquet for safe-keeping during the ceremony. Honestly, the whole thing was a blur. I got lost in Allie and Jake's love for one another. I vaguely acknowledged Percy going up to give them the rings. The next thing I knew they were both saying, "I do".

"You may now kiss the bride," Reyna smiled proudly.

Jacob immediately wrapped his arms around his wife and gave us quite a show kissing her. We all stood up to cheer and clap. Allie stepped back with a blush on her face. Jacob hooked his arm around her waist, and she leaned into her husband and they walked back down the aisle. They were both beaming.

Once they were out of view, everyone began to pack up their things for the reception. I turned to Percy and gave him a passionate kiss. I pulled away and he had a goofy grin on his face.

"What was that for?" he smiled.

I rolled my eyes. "Do I need a reason to want to kiss my boyfriend?"

"No, it's just you aren't always so forward in public," he blushed.

"Ah, Perseus, she's just feeling the love in the air," Apollo clapped him on the back. A blush rose to my face. I had forgotten the god was there. "I hope you two enjoy your evening. The wedding was lovely, and I know I have you two to thank for helping my son and daughter-in-law with that. Thank you, I have a feeling I'll be seeing you two soon." And with that, he was gone.

Percy and I stayed while the crowd went out. "Do, do you think our parents will come to our wedding?" Percy shifted slightly. "Poseidon and Athena? I know they haven't approved of us."  
I tilted my head. "Already thinking of our wedding?" he blushed but I just pecked him on the cheek. "Yes, I do think they'll come. After everything, I don't think they would miss it for the world." I glanced to the back of the crowd. "Speaking of that, don't you need to get Allie's wedding present ready?"

"Shoot, yeah, I'll get going. Save me a dance?" he questioned.

"I'll save them all," I said.

Allie POV  
I had my head rested on Jake's shoulder. All of our guests had been feed and we had kissed each other too many times to count, and this was only our first dance. Jake's hands rested on my waist and even though I knew everyone was watching, it felt like it was just the two of us.

Jake pulled back. "How is my lovely wife doing?" he smiled at the words.

I placed one of my hands on his cheek. "Your wife is doing great. How's my husband doing?" his smile only.

"Say that again," he mumbled taking my hand and kissing my fingers.

"You're my _husband,_ Jacob, and I'm your wife," I said.

His eyes glistened. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you say that."

"I won't ever get tired of saying that," I replied and with that our dance ended.

We released from one another and smiled at the crowd around us of our friends. Suddenly, Percy was up at the DJ booth. I scrunched my eyebrows at him, and Jake just kissed my hair.

"Just listen," he mumbled.

"Hey everyone," Percy said into the microphone. "I'm Percy, one of Allie's friends." He smiled. "I'll save my long speech for later, but we all know you two have been through so much," Jake squeezed my hand. "So, we wanted to do something for you. It won't make everything right, but I would like to introduce the father-daughter dance."

I dropped my jaw, "What?"

"Hey sweetie," my heart stopped. I turned around and standing there was my dad. I hadn't seen him in over ten years. My hand went to my mouth as I gasped.

"Daddy," I said and ran up crying to him.

"Shh, sweetie, it's alright, I'm here," but he squeezed me tight.

"How? Do you know who I am?" I asked confused.

"We do sweetheart," my mom emerged behind my dad.

"What? How?" I was speechless and Jake squeezed my waist from behind.

He whispered in my ear. "It was Percy's idea and my dad helped. They have their memories back, but just for tonight. We can talk more about maybe making it permanent later. But Percy thought you would like to have them here, for tonight."

"Were, were you at the ceremony?" I asked trying to contain my emotions.

My mom grasped my hand and nodded. "You made the most beautiful bride, Allison. We stayed in the back, this was Jake and your moment."

"I still can't believe that little boy you went to camp with is your husband," my dad smiled. "You're a grown woman now, Allison."

I let out a small laugh through my tears. "I am dad."

He held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

I grabbed his hand and he held me close. "Of course."

This night felt like a dream, and if I didn't know any better, I would have been sure it was one. Our dance ended too quickly, and my mom stole me away for another. They let me go so I could focus on my wedding, but they never strayed far out of sight.

Jake and I finished up our traditions. The cake cutting, the bouquet throw (who a blushing Annabeth had caught), and plenty of kissing throughout. It came to the end of the night and everyone was leaving.

My parents were getting older and had left earlier, but I promised I would think about giving them their memories back. They said it was the best night they've had since they'd forgotten about me.

Percy snuck up behind me at the end of the night. "Before you go, can I have one dance?" he held out his hand and had a goofy grin on his face.

"Of course, Perce," I smiled and walked with him over to the dance floor. I quickly checked to see where Jake was, and he was dancing with a little girl whose parents we knew from New Rome. My heart swelled at the sight.

"He's going to make a great father," Percy said interrupting my thoughts.

I sighed. "He is. And you are too, you know, once you finally propose to Annabeth."

He smirked. "I think we all had enough wedding planning for a while. But I hope someday."

We danced in comfortable silence until the song started to end. "Thank you so much, Perce, for everything. Being a great friend and hero. And for my parents," Percy cut me off.

"You don't have to thank me, ever. You're one of my best friends, Allison Scheper." He smirked.

"Gods, that's so weird," I crinkled my nose.

"But so right," he concurred.

"Yes, but right," I smiled back. Just then I felt Jake's hand on the small of my back.

"I hate to end this day, but we need to get some sleep before we head to our honeymoon tomorrow," Jake said wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck.

"Sure, "sleep"," Percy said in air quotes. My face turned pink and I'm sure Jake's did behind me.

"Seaweed brain," Annabeth came beside him and hit him lightly. "Give them a break, they're newlyweds."

"We will be sleeping, at least a little," Jake joked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Will you at least tell me where we are going?" I asked my husband.

"Nope," he said before kissing me on the cheek and I scowled.

"She hates surprises," Percy said smirking.

"You'll like this one, I promise. It'll be worth the wait. But like I said if we want to get any sleep tonight before we leave, we need to start our activities early," Jake teased.

My face blushed redder. "Jacob Scheper!"

"Yes, Allison Scheper?" He asked.

"You're impossible," I rolled my eyes but smiled. I forgot Annabeth and Percy were standing in front of us and I addressed my attention back to them. "Sorry," I mumbled.

Annabeth laughed. "Don't be. You're newlyweds, go enjoy your time together."

"But you promise to Iris Message us if anything happens on the Bia and Kratos front?" I asked.

Percy didn't say anything, but Annabeth responded. "Promise. Now go, enjoy yourselves."

I yelped as Jacob picked me up and carried me to our car.

"Are you ready to spend the rest of our lives together?" he said.

I gave him a passionate kiss. "Absolutely."

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. My life has been hectic these last few weeks, but I have more time now and am hoping to update more often. As always, please review. Things will start to pick up now.**


	18. Chapter 18

Percy POV

"Mffff," I groaned in my sleep at my phone went off. Who could be calling at 3 am on a Tuesday night? Allie and Jake's wedding had only been the weekend before. I let it go to voicemail. Yet, the person called back.

Annabeth grumbled next to me. "I swear, Perseus Jackson if you do not answer your phone, I will kick you out onto the couch."

I sat up rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "You wouldn't do that, you love me. You said sleeping with me is one of your favorite things."

She groaned. "Sure, just answer it, Seaweed Brain."

I picked up the phone without bothering to check the caller. "Hello?" I managed out.

"Percy, oh man, sorry, I'm just so hyped up on adrenaline right now I didn't notice the time," Leo replied on the other end.

"It's fine, what's up?" I asked. When an imminent battle is approaching, you always make time for your friends.

"It's, gods, I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I'm a father," Leo breathed out. "Calypso had the baby. We have a baby boy."

"Leo, man, that's, congratulations." I choked out. Annabeth turned her head next to me, peaking interest in the conversation.

"Thanks, I just wanted to call and let you know. I called Piper already, but I wanted you to know next. I'm assuming Annabeth is with you too?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's here." I said and pulled the phone away from my mouth. "Calypso had their baby boy."  
Annabeth's eyes widened, and light tears sprung. "Tell Leo congrats from me. And make sure he treats Calypso right!"

Leo laughed from the other side, obviously having heard her. "Don't worry, her and our boy are the centers of my world right now." He coughed.

"You okay?" I asked sensing a little tension in his voice.

I could practically see Leo fidgeting. "It's just, I know the whole battle with Bia and Kratos is coming up. I want to help, I do, it's just," I cut him off.

"Leo," I replied sternly. "Take care of your wife and son. Family is the most important thing. You sacrificed so much in the giant war; we can give you this time. Don't even think about coming back."

"Thank you," Leo sighed. "I should get going. The baby's getting fussy and I want to hold my son. Bye Percy," and he hung up.

I set the phone next to the bed. "Leo's a dad, wow," I mused.

Annabeth ran her hand along my arm. "How are you doing?" she asked, suddenly no longer tired.

"Fine," I replied monotoned. Annabeth grabbed my head and turned so I was staring into her stormy grey eyes. Even without any light, her eyes could get anything out of me. I sighed. "I'm happy for him, I really am. I just can't help to think about what that would've felt like for me."

Annabeth's eyes softened. "I know. But someday you will."

I smirked. "Are we having the kids talk? Right here and now?"  
Annabeth blushed again, even more than when she had caught Allie's bouquet the weekend before. "I mean, we don't have to. But there's no time like the present."

"I love you, and you know that. You know I want to have kids with you someday," I said.

She bit her lip. "Okay, but how many?"

I sunk back into my pillow. "I don't know. Growing up, I always wished I had siblings. I love Estelle, but it would have been nice to have someone my own age."

"And I have a lot of siblings," she said. "Bobby and Mathew and the Athena cabin."

"So, I'm thinking, at least two?" I smirked.

Annabeth laughed. "At least two? You want me to have two kids?"

I smiled. "I mean, yeah. But, you'll be like normal about it, right?"

She rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean normal?"  
"Like, you'll be pregnant and everything? The kids won't just like, pop out of your head?" I smirked.

She rolled her eyes and hit me lightly. "Gods, yes Percy," but she knew I was joking. Partly.

I leaned back into my pillow and Annabeth did the same. "I can't wait to spend my life with you. Marry you, have kids, grow old."  
Annabeth was dozing off. "Mhm."

"I love you, Wise Girl," but she was already sleeping next to me. I fell asleep thinking of our beautiful future.

"Percy," Annabeth shook me.

I was emotionally drained and the last thing I wanted to do was wake up. "Five more minutes," I mumbled and pulled my pillow over my face.

"No way," Annabeth ripped the pillow away. The urgency in her voice made me sit up quickly. "Piper just called. They got word of an army a day's out from camp. It's time."

I gulped. "Okay." This was it. It was finally time for another war, another battle. "Did she call everyone? Do we need anyone else?"

Annabeth shook her head as she continued to get ready and I followed suit. "Piper called everyone. Reyna and more Romans are coming over with reinforcements. She doesn't want to leave Camp Jupiter undefended, but it seems like it's Camp Half-blood they want." She really should have said it's _me_ they want, but nice of her to leave that out. "Leo's been notified just to stay away. Everyone else is on their way or already there."

"Jacob and Allison?" I asked slipping on my shoes and grabbing my pre-packed bag.

Annabeth shook her head. "Reyna, Piper, and I talked. They are on their honeymoon and they've both already lost so much to this. Let them relax."

I nodded; thankful Annabeth was in agreement. Allie would be mad when she came back, but it was better her mad and alive than the alternative. Jake could have been an asset for healing, but Bia and Kratos knew him already. He may have been a target more than anything.

"I'm glad you agree, but you promised Allie you would IM her if anything happened," I argued.

Annabeth shrugged. "I did, just not to tell her about Bia and Kratos. Jake and she are loving Italy, by the way."

"What did you tell her then?" I asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "Just that Calypso had the baby. She teared up but Jake pulled her away promptly after that. I think for some, umm, _activities._ "

I blushed thinking of my best friend. "Do you think they're fine in Italy?"

She nodded. "The current problems are only Greek related. They'll be fine. She's safe and happy. Focus on that when we destroy these titans."

I nodded. Minutes later we were on our way to Camp Half-blood via Blackjack. We didn't encounter any trouble on the way there which was discerning. Probably meant all the monsters were teaming up for the real battle the day after.

We barely landed when Piper rushed over to us. "Thank the gods you guys are here now. The war council has already been gathered. We were just waiting for you."

Annabeth hopped off of Blackjack. "We literally got ready in 15 minutes and came straight here and you're telling me we're late?"

"Chase, come on, keep up." Piper smirked as we followed her into the big house.

True to what she said, everyone seemed to be gathered together. Veteran campers as well as new. All of our friends had relinquished their old counselor position to the new generation of demigods, but we still were brought in at these meetings. We had a life to live outside of camp. We had fought most of our battles, until now.

Reyna stood with Chiron at the head of the table. To her right stood Frank and next to him Hazel. It was still odd to see them friends after their breakup a few years ago. Other friends, new and old sat about. Nico and Will (those two had to set a wedding date soon) sat next to each other. Agnes, the demigod who had defected from Bia and Kratos, stood stiff in the corner with Rachel standing idly next to her.

"So, what do we know?" I clapped my hands together. All eyes shifted to me.

"We were about to ask you that," Reyna narrowed her eyes.

"Why me?" I shifted in my step.

"In the desert, when we were saving Annabeth and Jake, Bia said you were the only person who could defeat them. Do you know how?" Hazel inquired.

I gulped. So, they really were relying on me. "No? It could be something to do with water though, right? I mean, they had themselves in the desert to stop me."

"You know how to beat them, Percy. I've seen it," Rachel chimed in.

I rubbed my temples. "Okay, no pressure." I sighed. "What do we know so far? Just so I can get my bearings straight."

"We just scouted. They have around 200, maybe 300 monsters in their army," Thalia marched into the room. She smiled. "Nice to see you guys."

"Thalia," Annabeth's eyes lit up. It's been a while since we've heard from our hunter friend. "What are you doing here?"

She smirked. "Well, I heard there may be a little battle going on, and you know the hunters can never pass up a good fight." Her smile dropped for a second when she turned to me. "Nice to see you again, Kelp Head."

"You too, Pinecone face," I smirked back as I replied.

She scoffed. "And you wonder why I don't visit more often."

"Okay, has anyone else seen anything? Other scouts or," Annabeth paused and briefly glanced at both Piper and Rachel, "or anything else?"

Rachel shook her head. "I just saw the fact that Percy is the one to defeat the Titans. And like he said, water was crucially involved, that's it."

Piper shifted. "I saw something in Katoptris, but you aren't going to like it." We all waited for her to go ahead. "After the oracles were restored, the foresight started again. I haven't looked much, but lately, I thought it couldn't hurt. I saw Percy battling the Titans, but alone."

"Alone?" Annabeth immediately interrupted. "We're a team. We _all_ are. We can't leave him to battle them alone."

"Annabeth," I placed my hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.

"Don't Percy. I need some time to think. We'll reconvene later," and she rushed out.

I started after her, but this time it was Thalia who placed her hand on my shoulder. "Give her some space. Plus, I think we should talk."

I followed Thalia out to the top of Half-blood hill. We sat down below her old tree looking at the camp below. She let out a sigh.

"So, Annabeth has been keeping me up to date on what's going on with you two." She bit her lip. "And with both of your lives."

I sighed. "I'm assuming you're talking about Jayce, right?"

She nodded slowly and turned more serious. "Percy, I can't imagine."

I stared forward at the horizon. "You can't. But we've all been through our own losses, none are worse or easier than others."

Thalia played with her hands. "But naming him Jayce? After my brother?"

"It wasn't just my idea. Allie was close with Jason at Camp Jupiter," I said.

"Yeah, her and Jacob," Thalia commented.

I lifted my head. "You know them?"

She shook her head. "After the giant war, and before he died, my brother and I did talk. His memories were coming back full-fledged. He told me about his friends in Camp Jupiter. He and Jacob were practically brothers, both growing up at Camp since they were practically infants." She shifted. "I'd like to meet them sometime."

"Who? Jacob and Allie?" I rose an eyebrow.

Thalia nodded. "You know after we survive all this. They knew Jason so well; it would be like to relive his memory from before."

"I think they'd both like that too," I smiled.

"So, where are they anyway?" She questioned.

"I, uh, they're on their honeymoon. I thought it would be best to not bother them."

"Just like you would like if you were on your honeymoon with Annabeth," Thalia smirked. "You are planning on proposing to her, soon right?"

It was my turn to look at my hands. "Yes, after this all dies down."

"Sure, I'll hold you to that," Thalia said.

Suddenly, a horn blew in the distance. We both stood up quickly and the camp below bolted into action. Campers grabbing armor, weapons, and shields ready to defend their home against the invading monster army.

"Are you ready for this?" She asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said running behind her.

 **Hope you enjoyed! As always, please read and review!**


	19. Chapter 19

Annabeth POV

My heart hammered inside my chest as the horn blew warning everyone in camp. I hadn't seen anyone since I ran off, but my time to my pity party was long over. I wiped up my tears, determined to make sure Percy made it out of this alive and that those Titans did not.

I ran into the center of camp where everyone was gathering. Thankfully, Reyna had helped up transfer the youngest campers to Camp Jupiter away from the fight. We needed help, but from demigods who could stand their own ground. The youngest left were twelve, and only because some of them had been at camp for ages and refused to leave the battle. This was their home; they were going to defend it. Still, they were on the back lines; our very last defensive. It shouldn't come to them fighting. If it did, the camp would be lost long ago.

Our friends all meet up in front of the big house. We all had our designated posts. We were all the most experienced in battle. Each of us would be leading a group. Well, that was at least to start. Things rarely went to plan.

Finally, Thalia and Percy ran up to meet us. Percy searched the group until his eyes landed on me. He gave me a look that I couldn't quite decipher. He gave me a lovingly look, but one that looked too much like a goodbye. _Not today, Seaweed brain._

"I'll take the hunters and continue to set up traps in the woods," Thalia broke our silence. "They won't be getting through there."

"I'll take my group and guard the entrance of Camp," Piper said.

"The Romans will join you," Reyna added.

Will spoke next. "I'll be setting up medic crews to take out injured campers."  
"And I'll help raise hell," Nico said. "You know, the dead."

"I'll take my group to the fronts," I added.

"And I'll go by the water," Percy said. "Alone. Frank can take my group and be reinforcements."

"Absolutely not," I argued. "You can't go there alone. You have to take at least one other person. You'll be killed otherwise. You're smart, but you need someone."

Percy rose an eyebrow. "Someone like you?"

I tried to hide my annoyment. "It doesn't have to be me, but yes. Why do you think we've always worked well together?"

"Guys," Piper broke our little spat. "I hate to break this up, but we need to get moving."

"I'll talk to Annabeth. She'll be right behind you. Just give us a minute," Percy announced, and everyone nodded to him. Most of our friends giving him solemn looks. I crossed my arms.

"Perseus Jackson," I started trying to keep my cool. "You are not going out there just to get yourself killed." Tears started coming to my eyes. "I _love_ you." My voice grew quiet as Percy took me into his arms. "I can't lose you."  
Percy held me against his chest as I tried not to cry. "Wise girl, I need to do this. I got this. They've already said, I'm the only one who can take them down. You are needed up here, defending camp." He pressed a kiss to my hair. "I love you too, Annabeth Chase. Never forget that."  
"Percy," I practically warned.

He released me from his arms and gave me one last fleeting kiss. "I'll see you later. Love you," and then I let him go. He was gone. The way he said it was so casual. It was a phrase you ended a phone conversation with. Not one you left to go into battle with. I took a shaky breath but decided to trust my love and help lead the rest of the camp to defend.

I met up with Piper and Reyna who were leading the front lines. Campers practically parted their ranks to let me through. I squeezed in between them.

"You okay?" Piper asked.

I nodded, trying to forget about Percy out there, all alone. But he wasn't alone. If he was by the water, he would be defended the best. As often as I called him Seaweed brain, Percy was smart. Smarter than he thought, or anyone gave him credit for. He's been through so much and he knows how to handle situations. The only thing was, I loved him. He was my whole world. If anything happened to him…I don't know what I would do.

Reyna arched her eyebrows. "Are you sure? We need you in the right head Chase."

I shook off my fears for Percy. "Yes," I answered 100% reasonable and now focused. "I'm ready to end this." We didn't need a whole new war for these new demigods to worry about. We had all fought too hard to let that happen.

Just then, we saw the first wave come over the hill. "Ready," I yelled to the crowd behind. There was a weak roar, but it was there. Halfway to the camp, we began to charge.

Honestly, I don't know how it all happened. I hardly ever did when it came to battles. I acted on instinct, thankful for my mom to open up those abilities for me. It's why I took the blade for Percy during the titan war. I _knew_ it would harm him, even if he was supposed to be invincible. That's probably the same reason I jumped in front of a soaring arrow when I was straight towards Reyna.

"Annabeth," Piper cried out next to me.

It was probably the shock, but I hardly realized the arrow sticking right through me in my lower abdomen. I barely even registered the pain. I could have kept going, if it wasn't for the slight tug I felt every time I moved.

Reyna blocked another incoming arrow, but her face paled looking at me. I let out a small laugh. "That bad, huh?" I had been so worried about Percy getting hurt, I hadn't even registered the fact that _I_ could be someone in danger as well.

"She needs to get back. Will needs to look at her." Reyna nodded towards Piper.

Thankfully, the battle was dying around us, as apparently so was I. Spots began to dance in my vision and Piper grabbed my arm as I stumbled backward.

Somehow, I made it onto a stretcher and carried back to the med bay. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was an explosion coming from the direction of the water. _Percy…_

Percy POV  
There hadn't been any movement in the water, but I knew it was only a matter of time. The titans would use their army to try and infiltrate the camp, but for whatever reason, they thought I was the final barrier to get to their goal. They would be coming after me personally, I could feel it in my bones.

Off in the distance, I began to hear the thundering of the battle. Screams and clanging of metal echoed off the camp. It took every instinct I had not to run over and help defend my friends. Still, I knew where I really was needed was here. I was the final stand against Bia and Kratos. If they fell, this battle would be over. If I fell first…I couldn't think of that. The only way I wouldn't make it out of this was dying to destroy them. I was counting on it.

The ground around me began to rumble. I tightened my grip on riptide. As much as water was a part of me, earthquakes were too. Poseidon's power pushed into the earth. I needed to use that.

I jumped back when Bia and Kratos rose out of the earth. They both stood tall glaring over me; force and strength. That's what their domains were. Still, after all these years loving the smartest daughter of Athena taught me that force and strength weren't all to win a fight. Not even close.

They both stood tall and bare, smirking down at me. A younger me may have been hesitant against them, but I wasn't him anymore. I had fought countless battles, won two wars, gone to college, gotten a job, met my soulmate and lost a child. I wasn't a young Percy scared of dying in the prophecy. If I died today, it would be by winning.

I didn't even wait for Bia and Kratos to go on the offense or speak. I knew what they were here for. I didn't need to hear their long-drawn-out monologues. They were here to kill me. Kill everyone I loved. A story I'd been told many times before. A story I'd never let happen before and I wasn't about to start now.

I turned their entrance into a weakness. I shook the ground beneath them and let them stumble from the unexpected movement. Kratos took a few steps backward while Bia held her ground. Kratos just made a fatal mistake.

He had stepped back into the ocean. My father's ocean. _My_ ocean. They were right to go to the desert before. That had dried out my powers. But here, I was in control. There was nothing to stop me.

I held out my left hand and began to control the water surrounding Kratos. His eyes widened a moment too late. I began to cause tendrils of water to surround his legs. I pushed him back and he fell to his knees.

The mini-hurricane continued to engulf Kratos. It rose up to his hips to covering his chest. Soon, all that show was a terrified face. If Bia attacked, there was no way I could hold this. Fortunately, she seemed to be in awe and terror at my destruction of her brother. At the destruction of strength.

Soon Kratos was gasping for breath as water surrounded his head. He took a deep breath, but all he inhaled was water. I could feel it go into his lungs, drowning him. At the speed he was gasping, it took only moments until the spiraling water dissolved into a cloud of gold dust.

I dropped my hand panting. One down, one to go. And now Bia was furious at me. Not only had I attacked her, but just killed her brother as well. Her shock wore off quickly and her face turned to what she was; pure force.

"Perseus Jackson, you will pay for what you have done," she bellowed in a low voice, almost as low as her late brother's.

I stood my ground, raising riptide, not that my sword was going to be able to do much against this monster. She attacked and I countered.

I flew on a swirl of water brought me to the titan's level. I got a few small cuts in, but she just swung her hand and sent me flying. Due to my lack of luck, instead of flying into the sea, I was sent the opposite direction and hit solid rock. I groaned as I tried to stand up. Some of my ribs were sure to be broken. Thankfully, my adrenaline was rushing so much that I couldn't really feel it. But I knew I would later. But that was a problem for later.

I steadied my feet and faced the titan again. She laughed shaking the ground. "You really don't know when to give up Jackson, do you?"

I gritted my teeth. "Only when you're dead."

"That will never happen," she attacked again, and I was able to escape with only a cut across my cheek from her long nail. "Seriously, I kidnapped your girlfriend, promised to destroy your camp, killed your child, and now am targeting your girlfriend in this battle for death, how much more until you're completely broken?"

 _Annabeth._ Gods. She had been so worried about me dying, me facing all of this alone when it should have been her I worried about. The pattern fit. Bia was always trying to pin me down, target my weaknesses. The opposite of force was weakness and she made sure I had a lot. It had been so easy for her, not anymore.

This was the moment to change all that. Annabeth couldn't be dead, she couldn't. It may not have even happened yet. I had to give my all to this. The only weakness I had left was death. What if I didn't even give her that satisfaction?

I thought about when I had caused the mountain to explode, right after Annabeth kissed me for the very first time. That power was built in me, and it was built in me now. I shut my eyes, dropped riptide, and breathed.

I could sense Bia's confusion. "What, what are you doing?" but I didn't give her the satisfaction of responding.

I let the urge deep inside of me grow. All the pain and anger from years of fighting. From all the losses I had experienced. From all the joy I still had yet to experience. I breathed in and then let it all go.

An explosion of water rushed out of me instantly dissolving Bia in its wake. The roar rushed throughout the beach. This time, it was me who sent myself flying back into the rock. I groaned again before I blacked out. My last thought was, _Annabeth…_

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry to end on a cliffhanger, but I hope to update soon! I have parts of future chapters written, just need to put the pieces together, so I'm hoping they will be up soon. As always, please leave a review and let me know what you think. I'm very happy with how this turned out, but I would always like to hear your thoughts as well. Thanks!**


	20. Chapter 20

Annabeth POV  
 _Gods,_ who knew being dead would hurt this much? The shock from the arrow hurt less than this did. But when I oriented myself to my surroundings, I realized I wasn't where I was supposed to be.

Instead of the underworld, the space around me was familiar. It was the apartment Percy and I shared in New York City. But how could I get there when I was just at camp a moment ago? That's when I realized the slight differences.

It was our apartment, yet it wasn't. The space was almost completely bare, not filled with the hominess Percy brought to it. There weren't any pictures about or feeling of safety at all. It just was.

I ran my fingers down the blank walls and I shivered. This was not where I was supposed to be, I knew it. Was I trapped? Misplaced? But then I felt another presence behind me.

"Annabeth?" my shoulders dropped. It probably was a trap, but I couldn't help myself. I turned and ran into Percy's arms. After a second of shock, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my hair. "Shh, hey, it's okay Wise Girl."

I pulled away for another moment. I scrunched my brows. "What's going on Percy? Are you, are we?" dead. That's what I wanted to say. But that would be too hard.

Percy gulped. "I'm not sure, I was hoping you knew."

I shook my head. "The last thing I remember was passing out from blood loss after hearing an explosion from the beach."

"Blood loss?"

I nodded. "I was shot through with an arrow."

Percy's breath hitched. "I killed Kratos, then Bia, but maybe I got hurt too. I can't remember…" Percy trailed off.

"You two aren't dead, at least not yet," Percy and I both jumped and turned around. I scowled when I saw who was standing there.

"Hera," I growled.

"Now that's no way to talk to someone who is about to save one of your lives," she responded.

"One of our lives?" Percy grabbed my hand and squeezed tight.

Hera frowned. "Yes, I thought it would be best for both of you to die, but Zeus had other plans. One of you needs to be in the world, at least for now."  
"What do you mean one of us?" I tried to go toward her, but Percy still had a death grip on my hand. He slipped his arm around my waist holding me close. Normally I would be annoyed with this display of affection in front of a god, but this situation seemed different.

"Hades won't let both of you escape his grasp. I'll let one of you come to your body again, but not both," she remained stern.

Percy kissed my neck. "Wise Girl, you've got to go."

I pushed Percy away, tears in my eyes. "Absolutely not. My only thought during this battle was to make sure you got out alive, I'm not going to be the last obstacle."

Hera butted in. "I hate to interrupt this, but you have to decide soon. Your bodies are dying as we speak. If you don't decide, you both will perish."

I turned around and grabbed Percy's hands. I let out a sad smile and his face dropped. "Percy, I love you more than you could ever know. You _are_ my heart and soul. Without you," I choked on my tears. "Without you, I wouldn't be who I am. I'd be broken and untrusting and-" I choked again and swallowed my tears.

Percy pulled me into a hug. "Go find someone who loves you. Who can treat you the way I would have treated you."

I sniffled and pushed away from him. "Percy, no, you don't get it."

He scrunched his brow before realization dawned on his face. "Absolutely not. Annabeth, I can't," but I shut him up with a kiss.

"Percy, I can't fight without you."

We both turned to Hera at the same time. "Save her," Percy uttered while I spoke, "Save him."

Hera rolled her eyes. "Wow, what a surprise. Both of you wanting to save each other."

"Hera," I stepped forward. "I know you don't like me, but you know me, and you know Percy. He deserves to live. He has his mom, his sister, our friends," I shook my head. "I'm broken. I don't deserve this over him. I love him." I gulped. "If you want to make up for all your hate towards me, save him. Don't make me live without him."

Hera kept her expression straight, but the next moment, Percy was gone. I let out a sob and fell into myself. Gods, he was going to be okay. He was going to live. Thank the gods.

"The room will slowly dissolve around you," Hera said. "As your body shuts down in the world, everything will become less clear."

I nodded and sat in my living waiting to die. But I waited. And waited. And waited. I knew my injury. I knew how bad it was. The blood loss, that arrow, I should be dead by now. Why aren't I dead right now?

I lifted my head up and Hera's face contorted. "It seems like you have a savior. At least, partially."  
I stood up quickly. "Percy didn't sacrifice himself. He couldn't. Please tell me you didn't let him."

Hera shook her head. "Of course not. It seems some sons of Apollo are using their medical expertise to save you." Hera sighed. "Will Solace is using his medical skills to intubate you to keep you breathing and Jacob Scheper is stabilizing the rest of you."

I shook my head. "That's not possible. Jacob should be in Italy on his honeymoon."

Hera scowled. "It seemed that some of the other gods were not pleased with Zeus's offer to save only one of you. They transported Jacob and his fiancé back to camp. It wasn't in enough time to fully save you though."

"What do you mean?" this whole part-dead thing was all new to me.

"You're still here. Your soul isn't fully connected to your mortal body, but it's not completely in the underworld," she stated.

"One foot in, one foot out," I said.

"You're going to have to fight to live. It's all up to you now," Hera said and with that, she was gone.

Now, how do I get back to living again?

Percy POV

Ugh. My body ached, but not in an intense pain way. More like the day after a really hard work out kind of pain. What had just happened? I was fighting Bia then, my mind drew a blank. _Di immortals,_ Annabeth. We were almost dead, and she sacrificed herself.

"Annabeth," I yelled and shot straight up. I was in the infirmary lying on an open cot with various wires attached to me.

"Percy," Piper was sitting next to me and called out in surprise. "Will, he's awake!"

But I wasn't focused on that. I was just focused on Annabeth. The love of my life who had just sacrificed herself for me. Was she already gone? Would I never get to hold her again?

I began to rip off the wires attached to me. "Percy, stop!" Piper chided but I didn't listen.

Will and Nico ran in with Reyna behind them. I was fighting Piper with all I had. Will took her place and held me down.

"Where is Annabeth?" I was yelling.

"Calm down," Reyna warned.

Tears flooded my vision. "Is she, is she," I couldn't even make out the words.

Suddenly, Allie rushed into the room. Her blue eyes were filled with worry staring at me. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore her purple camp Jupiter t-shirt with black leggings. Shouldn't she be on her honeymoon?

"I heard yelling," she said.

She ran forward and took my face in her hands. I stopped resisting. The look she was giving me, I had no more fight left to give.

"Please don't tell me she's already gone," I cried.

"Apollo and Athena told us the deal," Allie swallowed. "We were transported here as fast as we could. You stabilized as soon as we got here, but Annabeth," Allie sighed. "She's alive, but barely."

"Barely?" I let out a whimper.

"She's not alive and she's not dead," Nico supplied. "Her life was slipping, but Jacob was able to stabilize her enough. She lost a lot of blood and she's not breathing on her own."

"But she's alive?" I asked.

Allie gave me a solemn look. "For now. We don't know when or if her condition will change. Do you want to see her?" Allie dropped her arms.

All I did was begin to stand up, now that I had ripped all the wires off. I followed Allie in a daze. We passed many other injured campers. Some beds designated the dead by a white sheet pulled over their heads.

Allie led us to one of the only private infirmary rooms. Outside the room were rows of beds. On one lay Allie's husband Jacob. He was stark white passed out with shallow breathing.

"Gods, is he okay?" I asked. Jacob's ability to heal others was amazing, but it came at a cost. He experienced pain and took some time to recover if the injury was bad enough. If he basically brought Annabeth back from the dead, I'd say it was probably bad enough.

Allie sighed. "Yes, he'll be fine."

"He didn't have to do it. I know it causes him a lot of pain," I replied.

Allie rose her eyebrow. "He knows what he gets into each time. He can't just let his friends die, not after Jason."

"Are you sure he'll be okay?" I asked again.

"Yes, but maybe he would be more okay if we were given a heads up about the battle," Allie crossed her arms.

"You were on your honeymoon!" I argued.

"You all are more important than a little vacation," Allie sighed staring at her husband. "Annabeth is right through those doors. I'm going to stay here with Jake. Just, don't freak out when you see her." I nodded slowly as Allie took her husband's hand and gave him a light kiss. He mumbled and shifted in his sleep, but you could tell he acknowledged she was there. I took a deep breath and walked into Annabeth's room.

Instantly, all my breath was knocked out of me. My strong Annabeth wasn't strong now. I stopped dead in my tracks. It took every fiber of my being to walk forward towards her.

If there wasn't a heart rate monitor on her, I could have sworn she was dead. Her mouth was open with thick tubing down her throat. The roar of the machine was helping her breath. Or, I guess, breathing for her.

I grabbed her hand and almost dropped it immediately. It wasn't warm. It was cold and limp and everything I hated.

I fell to my knees and cried out. Immediately, multitudes of my friends rushed in. The first to reach me was Grover. I had no idea when he got to camp, but I was so glad. He wasn't sure how to comfort me. But him just standing there was enough.

Reyna, Piper, Frank, Hazel, and Thalia all came in after. Will was probably tending to other patients. Thalia was the first to walk up next to me.

"It's hard to see her like this," she said. Not any false words of her going to be okay. Not anything fake, Thalia was being real. I needed real. I needed realistic. What I needed was Annabeth, but she wasn't here.

I had to get through this, but how?

 **Thank you all for reading. I was going to post a new chapter, but I realized I hadn't even posted this one, whoops! So, stay tuned in the next week or so for a new chapter. I don't want to post them at the same time, so people aren't confused about which is the new chapter, but another one is written and a third almost done. Thank you all again for reading. I hope you enjoyed! As always, I love reviews, so please leave one!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Here's another chapter for you all! Warning, it does contain some sensitive information, but I thought it was important to include. Enjoy! (I'm already working on the next chapter!)**

Percy POV

The last few weeks had been some of the worst of my life. I would go back to the titan war, the giant war, even back to Tartarus, all because I always had Annabeth at my side. She's my voice of reason. She's my lifeline. And now my life was lying in a hospital bed with a tube down her throat unconscious. The strongest person I had ever known was not even capable of breathing on her own.

Allie had gotten Annabeth a room at the hospital she worked at. Jake and she were angry for us not telling them of the battle, but their anger couldn't stay for long looking at Annabeth lifeless in the infirmary. She also got Will privileges to check on Annabeth, to get a more demigod focused side of things. Otherwise, Allie made sure the best nurses and doctors were on her case. Jake had even looked her over but there was nothing he could do.

So, now I spent most of my days sitting beside Annabeth's bed holding her limp, lifeless hand. I tell her stories. Some of us as teenagers. Others of my childhood, the stories I hadn't shared with her yet. I talked about our future together when she would wake up. Gods, she had to wake up.

I pressed my lips to Annabeth's hand as the monitors continued to beep in the background. I had really just tuned those out as I tried to imagine it wasn't the machine breathing for the love of my life. A soft knock broke me out of my thoughts. I turned to see Allie smiling sadly in the doorway.

"Hey," she said walking over to me. Allie had been amazing through all of this. I had just heard her before talking about her job, but actually seeing her run a hospital was completely different.

They accepted her back with open arms after her extended leave, and she was more ready than ever to work. Jake was going back to school, considering the eight years he missed, and they both needed to keep themselves occupied. Still, it shocked me to see my best friend standing in a pencil skirt, a blazer, and heels running the show.

I dropped Annabeth's hand. "Any updates?"

Allie sighed as she sat down next to me. "Not as of now. I talked to Dr. Jones and none of the tests have come back with anything." She lowered her voice. "Jake keeps trying to talk to his dad, but Apollo says it's not medical."

That was the problem. Annabeth had gotten strung through with an arrow and lost too much blood too fast. Yet, apparently there was nothing 'medically' wrong with her. Except for her inability to wake up or breath on her own.

Allie cleared her throat again. "Jake's wondering if you'll be coming back to the apartment tonight." As amazing as Allie was, she and Jake had been letting me sleep in their spare room since Allie lived so close to her job. I felt terrible intruding on their newlywed life, but they both insisted. It was also hard watching them together. They tried to keep their PDA to a minimum when I was around, but even just Jake lightly touching Allie's back while they were making dinner or sitting close watching a movie made my heart ache. I wasn't able to have that with Annabeth now.

I shook my head. "I think I'll just stay here tonight. In case," in case she woke up. The doctors say it could be hours, it could be weeks or months. There was no knowing, but I wanted to be there when she did. Because she had to. She had to wake up.

Allie lightly squeezed my shoulder. "Just remember to take care of yourself too, Perce."

I didn't respond and just went to looking back at an unconscious Annabeth. How could I even think of taking care of myself when Annabeth lay lifeless? She could be dying; we had no idea.

Allie sighed behind me, but I didn't take my eyes off of Annabeth. "She'd want you to take care of yourself too. See you tomorrow." Still, I didn't respond. I just continued to stare at Annabeth and Allie's heels clicked as she left the room.

I stayed by Annabeth's side for the next few hours retelling her the story of when I first realized I was completely, hopelessly, forever in love with her. I didn't realize how much time had passed until my stomach rumbled. I needed to take care of myself too.

I pressed a kiss to her blonde hair. "Hey, I'm going to go get something to eat, but I'll be back." No reply. "I love you."

The fastest way out of the hospital was near the emergency room. I was just going to grab a quick bite to eat, probably from the Thai place nearby again. I was walking around the corner when I heard very familiar voices.

I probably shouldn't have, but I hid behind the door. I peeked in. I was slightly concerned they were going to see me, but they seemed so wrapped up in whatever was going on that they didn't bother to look outside the door.

Allie sat in a hospital bed softly crying into Jake's shirt. He was rubbing her back and whispering to her trying to calm her. Yet, he seemed pretty upset too. He must have whispered something as Allie let out another cry. I wanted to go in there and ask what was wrong, but this seemed private. I quickly hurried away letting them be.

The next day, Allie didn't show up to work. I stayed in the hospital overnight again.

The day after, I was sitting by Annabeth's bedside when Allie walked into the room. Her brown hair was up in a bun. She must've had a rough night because she had makeup plastered over her face. It didn't look bad, she just always preferred less if needed.

"Hey Perce," Allie took a chair and sat by my side.

"How are you?" I questioned knitting my eyebrows.

Allie opened her mouth but quickly shut it. She took a moment before answering. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You weren't at work yesterday."  
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Percy, I'm not at the hospital _every_ day of the week. I get time off too."

"But yesterday was Thursday. Jake has class all day on Thursdays, so you always work. And Wednesday you said see you tomorrow," I knew I was pushing a little too hard, but I was worried about her.

Allie's shoulder tightened. "I just needed the day off. Don't read too much into it."

"But," I didn't get to finish my sentence. Just then, Will Solace walked into the room.

I immediately stood up. Normally when Will made an appearance, that meant there was news. Good or bad, I still wanted any news. I needed something new.

Allie was slightly slower to stand up and Will's eyes softened when he saw her. His eyes darted towards me and all Allie did was quickly shake her head. Will's softened glanced changed to me then.

"How are you holding up Percy?"

I shrugged. "I could be better, but I'm hanging in."  
Will's eyes glanced as Allie. "And you?"

She took a sharp intake of breath. Will and Jake had gotten pretty close in the last few weeks. They were brothers after all. I bet Will knew what was going on with Allie. Why she was crying in the hospital on Wednesday night and missed work yesterday. "It could be better," she mumbled.

Will fidgeted and I noticed something on his left hand. "Will Solace, is that a wedding ring?"

Will normally didn't blush, but he did now. "Yeah, uh, Nico and I decided to make it official last weekend. We went to the courthouse to get married, just the two of us. You know he doesn't like any flair. So, now it's actually Angelo-Solace."

Allie let out a small smile. "We're so happy for you."

My mouth dropped. "Wait, did you know about this?"

Allie bit her lip. "Jake and I were the witnesses at their wedding."

My jaw dropped. "Wait, so you've known about this for the past week and I'm just now hearing about this?"

Allie's eyes in inadvertently darted to the bed where Annabeth lay. "You had other things to worry about."

"Speaking of, Allie, why are you at work today?" Will asked. She shot him a death glare.

"Because Dr. Angelo-Solace, I was gone for _months_ , I can't take another day off because I'm," she paused, "because I'm feeling under the weather."

"So, you were sick yesterday?" I asked but Allie got another save when an Iris Message of Jake popped into the room.

"Will," Jake was frantic. "When was the last time you ran an EEG on Annabeth to measure her brainwaves?"

Will frowned. "It's been a while. Not since she first went into her coma. We realized it was steady. It won't be any different now."

"Humor me then, check it, please." Jake's urgency didn't fade.

Will left the room to grab some equipment and Allie stepped into view frowning. "Love, are you okay? I know it's been a while since you've gotten some sleep."

Jake barely seemed to acknowledge her, something that was odd in their relationship. He brushed her off, "I'm fine. Will just needs to check this out."

"Do you think it will show something different?" I asked hope radiating from my chest.

"I don't want to say anything, not until I know for sure," Jake's eyes were wide.

"Jake," Allie's voice went soft. "Have you gotten any sleep?"

Again, oddly, Jake brushed her off. "I've been trying to figure this out."

Allie's face darkened. "This is all you've been thinking about?"

"Yeah, it's the only thing I can." Allie shook her head and ran out of the room. "Shit, Allie, love," Jake called out to her, but she was already long gone.

Will still hadn't returned. "What is going on with you two?" My mind flashed back to the hospital bed. Allie crying and Jake holding her. They both seemed a far cry from that.

"Allie, Allie didn't tell you?" Jake asked.

I shook my head. "What is it?"

"She, she should tell you." Jake's face fell, finally showing some emotion other than urgency.

"Is she okay?" Yet, again, the conversation was saved by an interruption.

Will rushed into the room and immediately began connecting wires to Annabeth's head. She lay still, unmoving to the intrusion. Will connected the last wire and an image appeared on a small screen in his hand. The lines darted across the screen and Will leaned in closer.

My heart pounded against my chest. "What is it? Is she okay?"  
"Is it what I think it is?" Jake spoke from the Iris Message.

Will nodded. "Her brain activity, it's high. Like, as high as if she were actually awake."

"What does that mean?" I questioned.

"It means, Annabeth's alive," Jake said in amazement. "Whatever has her stuck in her coma; she's fighting it. She's fighting it actively."

"Her brain is functioning at a high rate. She's thinking, processing." Will's eyes smiled. "She's going to get out of this Percy."

I swallowed back my tears, both happy and sad ones. "We don't know that. You just said she's thinking, what if she loses?"

"Percy, have you ever met your girlfriend? She's not going to lose." Will smiled.

"I can keep working on it too. Figure out what's she going through, to see if we can get her out of it," Jake said.

"Jake," Will practically scolded him. "As your brother, and as a doctor, I'm telling you to stop. Take care of yourself right now."

"I," Jake shut his mouth. His shoulders slumped and he appeared slightly defeated. "Yeah, okay. I'm going to go." And he quickly swiped the message away.

"Percy, you should go too. Rest, I'm going to keep watching Annabeth's brain waves. You've been here for a few days. Get some rest," Will said.

"I will. Thank you," I said and rushed out of the room. I couldn't wait to tell my best friend the news. I saw her across the hall.

"Allie!" I ran to catch up with my friend. She didn't turn towards me, but I couldn't contain my excitement. "Jake and Will figured something out. Annabeth is fighting; she's fighting whatever is going on. Her brain waves are super active. She's going to be okay. Well, at least we know she's not dying."

Allie took a shaky breath. "That's great Perce." Still, she didn't turn around, just kept facing the wall. I then realized she had her bag.

I scrunched my eyebrows. "Are you heading home?"

She nodded. "Will was right, I need another day off."

I frowned. "Allie, Jake said I should talk to you. What's going on?" I stepped in front of her and saw her mascara dripping down her face. "Allie."

She put on a fake smile. "Just go be with Annabeth. I'm heading to my apartment, I'll be fine."

"Let me come with you," I said.

She held up her hand. "No, you need to be with your girlfriend. I'll," she stopped another tear from rolling down her cheek. "I'll be okay."

I grabbed her bag from her arm. "Let me at least walk you home," I said knowing full well I'd stay with her to help her through whatever was going on. Allie couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

"Okay," she managed quietly.

Her apartment wasn't far. We walked in silence back to her apartment. Immediately when we entered, Allie darted to her room coming out in a part of lounge shorts and a sweatshirt from the college we both attended. She had also let her hair down from her bun letting it sit wildly about.

She went and sat on the couch and patted the spot next to her. I cautiously sat down. "You wanted to talk, talk."

"Allie," she looked up at me from the couch. "I saw you and Jake the other night at the hospital."

"You, you saw that?"

I nodded. "Something was obviously going on. I didn't want to intrude. I was just heading out to get something to eat. Are you okay?"

Allie hugged herself and stared down into her lap shaking her head. "I got home from work Wednesday night. I hadn't been feeling well all week," she still didn't look up from her lap. "I took a pregnancy test; it was positive." She paused. "I was so excited to tell Jake, but," her lip quivered. "But right before he got home, I started getting terrible cramps." She sobbed. "I ran to the bathroom and I was bleeding; I was bleeding so much. Jake tried to do something, but his powers couldn't help. He rushed me to the hospital, but it was too late." She covered her mouth. "I had a miscarriage."

She retreated into herself as she sobbed as if reliving it all over again. But, as her best friend, I wasn't going to let her do that. I wrapped her into my arms and let her cry into my shirt.

"Shh," I tried to calm her, but it obviously wasn't helping.

"I thought it would hurt less," she mumbled. "With Jayce, I knew for months. He was growing, moving inside of me." She paused. "This baby, I didn't even know for more than a few hours. Yet, I could already picture Jake holding our little boy or girl. He would've been such a good father."

"Would've been? Allie, I know it hurts now, but you two can try again. You'll make amazing parents."

She shook her head. "Perce, I can't go through this again. I can't lose another baby."

"You're so strong. Whatever happens. And you have Jake by your side." She pulled away and bit her lip. "He is supporting you, right?"

"Gods, yes, just," Allie sighed. "He was so strong and caring in the hospital, but ever since we got home, he's pulled away. I don't think he's processing it well. We didn't really sleep the night it happened, but last night he slept in the living room."

Anger boiled in me. "He did what?"

"Don't get mad, he just doesn't know what to do. After Jayce, you know my mental health got toxic. I think he's worried that'll happen again."

"So, distancing himself with change that?" I asked.

"He thinks I need to sort this out on my own, but I really just need him." Allie let out a yawn. With her tears destroying most of her makeup, I could see the dark circles under Allie's eyes.

"Al', you should go get some sleep. You and Jake will figure this out. In fact, you two probably need your space from me, I'll grab my stuff and head back to my apartment."

"Percy, you don't need to do that. We invited you here."

I shook my head. "Annabeth is fighting this. She's aware, at least of things going on in her mind. I need to help her find her way back here, back to reality. I'll be fine. You and Jake need to have your space."

"Thank you," Allie said under her breath and sighed. "I'm, I'm going to go lay down."

"I'll be gone before you wake up." She started to stand up, but I quickly caught her wrist. "And Allie?" She looked back at me. "When the time comes, you and Jake are going to make amazing parents. You're going to be a great mom. And you've met my mom. I know what makes a great one, and you will be."

Tears pricked at the edges of her eyes. "Thanks, Perce," and she headed off into her bedroom.

It didn't take me long to gather all my stuff. I'd been in a haste when I'd first gotten here, barely grabbing a change of clothes before rushing to the hospital to see Annabeth the first time. I had slowly gotten more of my things, but nothing more than a small suitcase.

As I was about to leave, the apartment door opened. In walked Jake looking like the whole world was weighing on him. He seemingly didn't see me. He sauntered into the kitchen and rubbed his hands over his face. He sighed then looked up and saw me.

"Oh, hey Percy, I didn't see you there," Jake said. His eyebrows raised noticing my packed suitcase in my hand. "Are you leaving? You know Allie and I welcome you here. Speaking of, is she around?"

"I'm leaving, you two need your space." I sighed. "She told me." His face remained blank. "She told me about the miscarriage."

Jake's face sank. "How did she seem?"

"Jacob," I tried to keep my voice stern. "You need to talk to your wife. You need to be there for her."

Jake was trying to hold back his emotion as he grabbed his hair. "Percy, what am I supposed to do? She just lost a baby; our baby. She was pregnant, and now she's not. This isn't her first time losing a baby either. And I can't help her. I wasn't the one pregnant, but I still lost a baby too." He stared at me. "How did you deal with losing Jayce? I don't," he took a shaky breath. "I don't know if I can get through this. How am I supposed to help Allie through this if I can't even get through it."  
"Allie and I got lost in grief because we tried to deal with it on our own. You have each other. You are stronger with each other, use that," I said. "You'll never forget, but you'll learn to live with it."

"What if I can't? I just want what's best for Allie? What if I can't?" he sighed.

"Jacob," Allie said and both Jacob and I jumped. Allie was standing outside her bedroom door. She approached her husband. "Jacob, love, talk to me."

"It just hurts so bad," Jacob said as Allie placed a hand on him. "I want to be strong for you, but I can't."

Allie pulled him into a hug. "We can hurt together."

Silently, I began to pull my suitcase out of their apartment to give them their time together. Over Jake's shoulder, Allie lifted her head up to mouth _thank you_ , to me. I nodded with a smile before heading out.

I sighed in the apartment. Now, all I had to do was wait for Annabeth to wake up. And if I could, help her keep fighting.


	22. Chapter 22

Annabeth POV

I was walking. And walking and walking. I had no idea how long this had been going on. Honestly, I wished there was something to fight. Maybe a monster to take down. Yet, in however long this had been occurring, nothing had happened.

I wanted to fight to get out. I wanted to get back to Percy. Back to my friends. How had the battle affected camp? Did everyone make it out okay? I wanted to check on Piper and Reyna and Allie and Jake and Frank and Hazel, Nico and Will, my cabin, everyone. I wanted to check in with Leo and Calypso and see their new baby boy. Would I ever get out?

I wandered around nowhere. I had started in Percy and my apartment, but as soon as Hera left and I stepped out, it disappeared. I'd been endlessly wandering ever since.

The landscape was plain. It shifted between nothing and grasses and trees, but never any water. Not that I got thirty. I wasn't thirsty or hungry or anything. I just wish the scene would change to the sea to remind me of Percy. Gods, did I miss Percy.

I continued to walk until I stopped in my tracks. There was someone up ahead. I didn't have a weapon, but I stayed on guard. Maybe this was my chance to fight a monster. But, upon closer examination, this person was clearly a monster. She was a teenage girl. I got close enough to be in talking distance. My heart pounded in my chest. I could feel it, this would be a turning point in wherever I was.

"Hello?" I asked. It almost hurt to speak not having done it in so long. The girl turned around.

She must have been around fifteen or sixteen but was mature for her age. She had mid-length brown hair and stunning eyes. They were green with a hint of gold and grey in the middle. She let out a big smile, something shocking in this white landscape.

"Nanabeth, I figured I'd see you here," the girl said still with a wide smile on her face.

I took a step back. "What?"

"And wow, you're so young and beautiful," her eyes widened. "Not that when you're older you're not, it's just different. And like, wow, Nana, if mom and dad heard how I was talking right now. Papa would be laughing at me and grandma and you would be glaring at him."

I held up my hand. "What is going on? You're the first person I've seen here in," in how long? How long had I been here?

"Right, sorry. Here, time is just a construct. Everything is happening at the same time, yet no time at all. Papa loves to tell us stories, he told us about the time you were here," the girl said.

"Papa?" my mind was reeling.

"Sorry, right. I forgot," she stuck out her hand. "I'm Jacelyn Jackson, your granddaughter."

"My what now?" my eyes widened.

"Nana, keep up," she quirked her brow and dropped her hand as I didn't reach out. "For being a direct daughter of Athena, you're kind of slow right now." Her eyes widened. "Again, sorry. You're just the first person I've talked to in a long time and you like, always get me. It's hard to remember you don't know me. Not yet anyway."

"Granddaughter?" I asked.

"Yep," she said popping her p. "Like I said time here is weird. Even though we are in this place years apart, our consciousness are here together. I think it's to help each of us get out in one piece."

"Wait, if you are my granddaughter, who are your parents? Do you have other siblings? Do I know your other grandparents? I have a kid? Are they your mom or your dad?" questions flew through my head.

Jacelyn just let out a smile. "You won't remember this when you wake up, but I shouldn't give away _all_ my secrets. Come on, I want to show you something I found."

The girl started off without any further explanation and I hurried after her. It gave me time to process this. This girl was my granddaughter. I would have a granddaughter.

"Only if you make it out of here," Jacelyn said breaking my thoughts.

I stopped abruptly. "Can, can you read minds?"

She laughed and turned her head to look at me but didn't stop. "Nanabeth, I don't have to. Papa always says we're too much alike in thought. I know what you're thinking." I continued to follow her. "I'll only be born if you make it out of here." She gave me a pointed look. "You've got to make it out of here. I really like being alive. And mom and dad need to get together. You can't die and leave one without the other."

"But," she held up her hand.

"Don't think about it too much. Let's just keep moving."

I didn't want the silence to continue and I could tell Jacelyn didn't either. "Why Nanabeth?"

I was next to her so I could see the smile twitch on her lips. "My parents didn't know where I picked it up, probably from a book they read to me, but when I could talk, I called my one set of grandparents grandma and grandpa. Papa Percy had a ring to it. Grandma Annabeth was too long apparently for me and when I was learning to talk, I sort of combined your name with Nana, so, Nanabeth was born. Since I could talk first, Alec just followed my example."

"Alec?"

She cursed softly under her breath. "One of my secrets is out, I guess. Alec is my twin brother. But, _I_ am the older one."

"Twin brother," I mumbled. "I have a granddaughter and a grandson." I paused keeping up with Jacelyn's pace. "Do you have any other siblings?"

"I guess I kind of spoiled that one, didn't I? So yeah, I do," I paused waiting for her to elaborate. She sighed. "I have two younger brothers, Parker, who's thirteen and Bailey who's eleven." Jacelyn let out a laugh. "There was a lot of testosterone in the house for a while, but mom and dad had an 'oopsie' baby. Lizzie's almost two now."

"So, you'll let me know my grandkids' names, but not my son or daughter's?" I quirked a brow.

"Nope, Leon warned me about that. My generation is farther remove than your kids are. Even though you won't remember, grandkids are okay, kids are not," she said.

"Who's Leon?" I questioned.

I could have sworn a blush rose to her face, but she turned her face to hide it. "I guess I can tell you. From what I remember Papa and you telling us, this happened to you right after the battle at Camp with Bia and Kratos?" I nodded and she continued. "Leon is Emilo's son."

"Emilo?" I questioned.

"Right, you know of him, but they hadn't named him yet. Emilo is Calypso and Leo's son," she went on. "Leon knows a lot about time dimensions and stuff with his grandma being stuck on Ogygia for thousands of years."

"And Leon is?" I let the question hang.

"A friend," she emphasized, but still wouldn't look at me. "Just a friend."

There was one question still gnawing on my mind. "So, if you talked to Leon about this place, did you know you were coming here? How'd you get here?"

Jacelyn sighed. "Peace can only last in our world for so long. This place, a goddess placed something here that could help us. I needed to get it so," she swallowed. "So, I sort of almost just killed myself."

"Jacelyn!" she shrunk into herself.

"No one knew," Jacelyn continued. "There's no way I could have told you or anyone else. I hinted at it for some time, trying to get some information out of you, but you obviously didn't remember. Leon only knew of my plan and explained this to me to try and warn me to stop. Other than him," she sighed. "Alec knew I was going to try. It took me weeks to get far away enough from him to try, but I only had one shot."

"And it worked," I said.

She nodded. "Only because Alec found me in time and saved me otherwise," she bit her lip. "But Leon's warnings were true. Time is weird here. I could have been here for seconds or decades. The war may already have been lost before I can find what I need. Which is where you come in."

"Where I come in?"

She nodded. "I need to find the item and you know where it is. This place is a manifestation of our memories."

"What exactly are we looking for? Didn't you say a goddess hid it here?" I asked.

Jacelyn bit her lip. "Hera hid it here."

I gritted my teeth. "That, _Di immortals,_ she hid it here, so my granddaughter had to kill herself to come find it?"

Jacelyn winced. "Sorry, I know she was kind of a bitch towards you. But she's not all bad, at least not all the time." She sighed. "Trust me."

"I, okay," I don't know what came over me. This girl, my _granddaughter,_ hadn't given me any reason to doubt what she said. "But what is it we are looking for?"

"Your dagger," Jacelyn said matter-of-factly.

"My what?" I furrowed my brow.

"Your dagger. The cursed blade that Luke Castellan gave you."

"But I lost that in Tartarus," I said.

Jacelyn shivered. "Yeah, you and Papa don't really talk about that." She sighed. "You more use it as a warning. You told us how Papa," she gulped. "How he controlled the goddess because of the water. How terrifying it was."

I shut my eyes, trying to block out that memory. "Yeah. It's not something we like to relive."

"You thought he was going to die down there," she said.

I nodded. "The poison. I was so afraid of losing him. I still am afraid of losing him."

"That's the problem," Jacelyn said.

"Excuse me?" this sixteen-year-old was trying to psychoanalyze me.

"Why do you think this landscape is so bare? You're so afraid Nana, you don't even realize it."

"I'm not afraid," I tried to defend.

But deep down I knew this girl was correct. I was so afraid. I was afraid of losing Percy to things like death. I was afraid of losing Percy to someone else once he realized I wasn't good enough for him. I was afraid of the future falling apart.

Jacelyn took my hand and I swallowed. "It's okay to be afraid. You just need to learn to embrace your fears." She squeezed my hand. "I'm afraid too."

"You, you are?" I mean, it made sense she was scared. She had almost just killed herself on the chance that I would be in this place at the same time as her to help her get my dagger to save the world.

She nodded. "The world is riding on Alec's and my shoulders. I'm afraid of not being able to save it. My parents and my younger siblings, I need to save it for them. For you and Papa and grandma and grandpa." Her shoulders fell. "You and Papa saved the world so many times, what if Alec and I can't just this once? Would all of that have been for nothing?"

And as she said that, something changed. The landscape around us began to form more. Instead of walking in a grassy field, the landscape developed. It was woods. The woods outside of Camp Half-blood.

"How, how did you do that?" I questioned.

She shrugged. "I told you about my fears. The reason we aren't quite dead and not quite alive is because we're scared. We're holding onto something, not admitting things." She let out a long breath. "That's the first time I ever admitted I was scared about this whole thing. I haven't even said anything to Leon about it."

"And speaking of fears, what do you happen to have any fears about this 'friend' Leon?" I arched my eyebrows.

A blush rose onto her face. "Possibly. I have to save the world first though."

"You know Percy and I first kissed right before he was about to die in a mountain," I said.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Papa has told us this story like a thousand times. It's just, Leon's, Leon." She shrugged. "He's Alec's best friend, I can't do that to him."

I shrugged. "Poseidon and Athena hate each other, and look at Percy and me."

Jacelyn smirked. "It's weird to hear you call him Percy; you always call him Papa around us kids. And trust me, I know about love not supposed to work. My parents were exactly 'traditional' in their relationship."

"So, what's there to worry about with Leon?" I shrugged.

"Everything. The world is counting on me, I can't let some boy get in the way."

"Does he make you stronger?" I asked and she shrugged in reply. "Does he make you smile? Make you laugh?" a small smile came to her face. "Does pushing him away only make you want him more?" She stayed silent. "Jacelyn, I think you know what you need to do."  
She sighed. "Gods, Alec is going to kill me." But then she smiled. "Thanks Nana. Now, your turn."

I stepped back. "My turn for what?"

"What are your fears?" She asked it so directly, I was expecting it, it just took me by surprise.

"I," I swallowed. "Losing Percy. Not being good enough."

She smiled but rose an eyebrow when nothing in our scenery changed. "Sure, I bet you're scared of that, but what else?"

I gulped. "I'm, I'm scared of normalcy." I swallowed. "Of living a normal-ish life. I broke up with Percy over it once. I want him, I want the future you are giving me." I smiled at her. "Having kids and grandchildren. Being called Nanabeth and Papa Percy, but what if I can't handle it?" I shook my head. "You obviously know, I've had the world on my shoulders for so long, what if I can't handle being just normal? What if I mess up being with Percy or being a mom someday or a grandma?" Tears were flowing down my eyes.

"Nana," my granddaughter pulled me into a hug. "It's okay to be scared, but just do it anyway." I sniffled and she continued pulling away. "My wise Nana taught me that."

"But I'm not living it."

Jacelyn sighed and sat down on a bench. When did that get there? "Obviously, from being a great-granddaughter of Poseidon and my other lineage," she didn't elaborate on what it was, but she continued. "I have special powers. You know who helped me accept them?" I shook my head. "You and my grandma. Neither of you has powers, but you two helped me to accept them. I was so scared for so long to use them, but you both coaxed me to try it, even though I was scared."

I sighed. "So, you're saying?"

She rolled her eyes. "Do it even though you're scared, Nanabeth! You're one of the most fearless people I know. You've saved me countless times from monsters without blinking an eye. You're fearless there, be fearless in this." Her eyes were pleading. "Can you at least try?"  
I sighed. Could I? Could I try and be normal? Could I try to live my life in fear, but at least embrace it? Jacelyn was right, I could face monsters easily, but facing life? Could I do that?

Then I looked at Jacelyn's face. She was pleading with me. Obviously, there was a lot riding on this, but I couldn't help but stare at her. This was my _granddaughter_. And she had four other siblings. I had a child. Her eyes were partially a mix of Percy and me, grey and green, although the gold must come from the other side of the family. But gods, her pleading looked just like Percy. How could I say no to that?

"I can, I can try," I breathed out. "Can you just tell me if your mom or dad is my child?"

She smirked. "Not going to work Nana. But look!"

The woods around us began to develop even more. We weren't just in the woods around camp, a boulder formed. It was Zeus's fist; the entrance to the Labyrinth. Jacelyn bounded towards it.

"Jacelyn don't!" I pulled her back before she went in.

"Relax, it's just a cave," she said nonchalantly, not knowing.

"Jacelyn, that's not," I gulped. "That's the entrance to the Labyrinth. Or whatever is left of it or whatever it is in this world."

Her face paled. "Oh, my gods," she shut her eyes. "Alec, Leon, and I must have been 7 or 8. Parker and Bailey were with my other grandparents; they were too young for camp. You and Papa took us to camp letting our parents have a weekend alone. We loved it." Her lips shook. "Alec and Leon thought it would be funny to run away into the forest. We hid in the cave underneath here. It took you hours to find us and once you did, you wouldn't stop holding us."

"You could have been gone forever," I said knowing the Labyrinth's way.

"Nana, I'm so sorry." She gulped. "But it showed here for a reason. We need to go."

I nodded. "Okay, just be careful." I would have taken the lead, but she headed down ahead of me. She shot ahead but suddenly stopped abruptly.

"What?" but then I stopped as well. It was us.

On one side of the room was Jacelyn. She was lying in a bed that was in the Camp's infirmary. But she wasn't wearing what she was wearing now. Where we were, she had on just a plain sweatshirt and leggings. Something identical to my outfit currently too. But in the bed, she was different.

Her face was pale, and she wore an orange Camp Half-blood t-shirt, but her arm had an IV in it. It was in her left forearm, clearly showing off her SPQR tattoo. The top of the tattoo had three different markings. An owl, a trident, and a lyre.

"You're Roman?" She nodded but was memorized by the scene.

Holding her left hand was a boy who was obviously Leo and Calypso's grandson. He ran his thumb up and down her hand. Just friends my ass. Pacing behind him was who I could only assume to be Alec, Jacelyn's twin. He had a matching tattoo as Jacelyn, just one less dash than him.

"She should be waking up soon," Alec burst out.

Leon didn't take his eyes off of my granddaughter. "She won't wake up until her plan works. You know it's your fault she's like this."

Alec's eyes darkened. "If you're implying," but Leon cut him off.

"You didn't bring her back completely. You knew what she was going to do. You could have saved her, but you didn't."

"She would have just tried it again," Alec argued.

"She wouldn't have; I wouldn't have let her," Leon said.

Jacelyn beside me scoffed. I rose an eyebrow. "He couldn't have stopped me," she commented.

"It doesn't matter anymore, she's in this mess now," Alec sighed and took a seat next to Leon. "Man, I'm sorry."

Leon still didn't take his eyes off of Jacelyn. "Why would you be sorry for me? She's your sister."

"Dude, seriously? Which one of us is sitting here holding her hand and looking at her like she's the only thing that matters in the world?" Alec asked.

"That obvious, huh?" he let out a sad laugh.

"And just to let you know, not that it matters, but I approve," Alec said. "Jacie would kill me if I told you this, but she likes you too."

Leon's eyes perked up. "She does?"

"Dude, seriously, you two are so oblivious," he said leaning back into his chair.

Jacelyn's jaw dropped next to me as I nudged her. "See?"

She quickly turned towards me. "Okay, we need to find that dagger then figure out how to get out of here so I can talk to Leon then kill my brother."

I laughed and then we both shifted our attention to the scene of me. I was lying in a hospital bed wires all around me. Percy's hand was gripping mine. He didn't say anything. It looked as if he'd been there for a while. Confirming my suspicions, Allie came into the screen with a coffee.

"Here you go Perce," she handed him his coffee.

"Thanks," he took the coffee but didn't look up at his friend.

She sighed. "She'll wake up Percy, I know she will."

"Allie, it's been almost five months, three since we knew she was aware of somewhere in her mind," he replied.

I swayed on my feet. Gods, five months? Jacelyn grabbed my arm and gave me a sad smile.

"Sorry, I didn't tell you how long you were in a coma for," she sighed.

Percy spoke again, tears in her eyes. "Allie, I don't know how long I can keep seeing her like this."

She pressed a friendly kiss to his head. "Just let her keep fighting," and off she went.

Jacelyn shook me out of the vision. "Nana, this is it!" She ran to the dagger in between the two of our scenes. "What if we have to connect with our bodies?" She tried to run into her scene but frowned when she hit an invisible wall.

"What about denouncing our fears as we did before?" I asked her.

Her eyes widened and she turned towards the scene. "I'm," she gulped. "I'm scared of loving Leo," she took a step forward and this time wasn't block by the wall. "I'm scared of messing up and not saving the world." Another step forward. She was so close to her body. "I'm," she glanced back at me. "I'm scared of the prophecy." She gulped. "Of what it means." Suddenly, a veil tore back. She was able to approach the bed. She turned towards me. "See you soon Nanabeth. It'll be a while before you see me, but live your life, even if it's scary."

Then she matched herself up with her body and she dissolved. It was only a moment later that she shifted in the bed again and opened her eyes.

"Jacie!" her brother exclaimed pushing Leon aside to give his sister a hug.

"Alec," too much she breathed out.

"Sorry," he pulled away and looked at his friend who now had tears in his eyes. "Did you get it?" She nodded and pulled up my dagger.

He took Jacelyn's hand again. "You scared me, Jackson."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Valdez." But then she softened.

Alec cleared his throat. "I'm going to go let everyone know you're okay. Parker and Bailey are outside and mom and dad are coming with Lizzie." He squeezed his sister's shoulder. "You worried us Jace." His eyes darted between them. "But I'll give you two a minute."

He left and Jacelyn played the dumb card. "Give us a minute?"

Leon suddenly wasn't so sure. "Umm, yeah. You had me so scared and I realized, uh, I realized."

She hit him lightly and swung her legs, so she was facing him. "Oh, shut it, dork. I heard everything you just said."

His eyes widened. "Uh, about what?"

She just rolled her eyes and pulled him in for a kiss as the scene dissolved. Okay, now it was my turn.

I stepped until I felt the invisible wall. "I'm scared of losing Percy." A step forward. "I'm scared of not being enough." Another step. "I'm afraid of not getting something permanent or getting it then losing it." One more step. "I'm terrified of the normalcy awaiting me, but I'm ready to embrace the fear." The wall broke. Time to see Percy again.

I laid on the bed and the next moment everything came into view again. I could hear beeping and feel the IV in my left arm. I could feel a hand squeezing mine. I slowly opened my eyes. He wasn't looking at my face, just kissing my hand.

"Hey Seaweed Brain," I muttered.

Percy's eyes snapped up to my face. Tears sprang to his eyes. "Annabeth!" He dropped my hand and wrapped his arms around me. "Gods, Annabeth!" I sat up to met him.

"Did you miss me or something?" I teased.

He gave me a deep kiss. "With all my heart. What happened?"

"I," but then I frowned. I knew something happened, but what _had_ happened? It wasn't in my memory. "I'm not sure." I touched his damp cheek. "I just know I'm ready for whatever life throws at us. I love you, Perseus Jackson."

"And I love you, Annabeth Chase," and he kissed me again and I'll be damned if I wasn't going to say that wasn't the best kiss ever.

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's a long one! I wanted to switch it up a bit and I hoped you all enjoyed. As always, please leave a review if you enjoyed it.**


	23. Chapter 23

Percy POV

"But since I'm in fourth grade now, we get bigger chairs in our classroom. And I get to check out more books from the library. Oh! And now some of my friends are liking boys," Estelle scrunched her face. "Jessica says Carson likes me, but I think Carson actually likes her because he spends all his time with her. And I don't have time for boys right now."

Annabeth's hand was over her face, trying to suppress her laugh. Her grey eyes met mine with a little twinkle in them.

My mom sighed and set down the dishes she had been washing. "Estelle, honey, give Annabeth some space."

Estelle let out a tiny scowl. Gods, it was hard to believe my little sister was 9 now, and she was getting a personality of her own. I had tried to keep up with her while Annabeth was in the hospital, and I hadn't done the best job. Still, now Annabeth had been recovered for a month and this was our first time visiting my family again. Estelle had wanted to talk to her nonstop. To catch her up in what happened these last six months.

"Sally, really, it's fine," she smiled back at Estelle. "I missed you guys."

We finished the dishes and I went over to my girlfriend and sister. I plucked my sister off the couch and she let out a loud squeal. "Percy!" she yelled, but she couldn't stop laughing. With Estelle over my shoulder, I leaned in and gave Annabeth a quick kiss.

"Eww!" Estelle yelled again. "Did you two just kiss?"

"Maybe," I smirked and plopped Estelle down on the couch before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Is it gross when I kiss you?"

"No, because you're my brother. You kiss Annabeth because you looooove her," Estelle mocked.

Annabeth blushed at this. It was so nice to see color in her face. To see emotion. To see life. Those five months were hell and I'm glad they are finished.

I smiled. "I do loooove her," I mocked back and swept Annabeth up for another kiss.

My girlfriend was the one to squeal now. "Perseus Jackson," she laughed as I kiss her lips, cheeks, and peppered her scarlet red face with more.

"Estelle, I think it's time for bed," Paul walked out from the kitchen and held his hand out to his daughter but he couldn't help his smile that was starting to form on his face.

"Dad," she groaned. "I haven't seen Annabeth for months! And barely any of Percy when she was in the hospital." A pang of guilt hit me in my chest.

"How about we have you over for dinner next week?" Annabeth smiled at my sister. "And maybe you can stay the night for a sleepover? I've missed you too Estelle and we need to catch up. That is, if it's okay with your parents."

Sally and Paul exchanged glances as Estelle gave them a puppy dog pout. It was impossible to resist. My mom sighed. "Only if you both are okay with it," she said looking at me.

I shrugged. "It'd be great to have her over. You guys can have a date night."

"Oh, who said you were invited?" Annabeth tilted her head and let out a smirk. Estelle giggled. "But I'm sure we can squeeze you in."

"Funny," I said.

"We'll plan it soon, but 'Stelle really needs to get to bed," my mom held out her hand and Estelle slowly followed, probably because of the promise of the sleepover next week.

"Bye Percy and Annabeth," Estelle peeked behind her. "I love you."

Annabeth tensed next to me but then relaxed. "We love you too."

We. Gods. We. It wasn't just her. We were a team. It was the two of us against the world again. Not just me. Us.

Paul stayed in the living room with us and gave us a pointed look. "I think you two need to get to bed too," but the way he said it, the accusation with it.

I swear, Annabeth's face got redder and mine probably matched it too. I mean, it was no secret that we had been without each other for a while. I could hardly keep my hands off of her, not that either of us were complaining. But the fact that my stepfather was bringing it up, that was something else.

"Paul!" my mom chastised coming out from Estelle's room. She crossed her arms. "They're young and in love. Let them have it."

"It's not like what they're doing is a secret," Paul muttered, and Annabeth hid her head in her hands.

"Gods," she sighed.

"Hey," my mom threw her hands up in the air. "I want grandbabies. I would prefer the wedding first, but I can be modern."

"Mom," I groaned. "Can we not talk about this?"

Paul and Sally both laughed. "We're just joking." My mom walked over and gave each of us a hug as we stood up to leave. "Thanks for coming to dinner."

"Of course," Annabeth smiled at my mom.

"And, were you serious about taking Estelle for the night?" my mom eyed my girlfriend.

Annabeth nodded. "Estelle is practically like my sister. I've missed you all."

My mom squeezed her into another hug. "Come back soon," she said.

Annabeth smiled as I helped her into her jacket. As we walked out, we walked in a comfortable silence. I had my hand rest against her back, again, I couldn't keep my hands off of her. I wanted to make sure she was there with me. In that moment.

After we got home and were lying in bed, Annabeth broke the silence.

"Percy," her voice was low, a pained whisper.

My heart skipped a beat. She sounded as if she was in pain. I quickly shifted so I was on my side facing her. Her eyes were staring up at the ceiling, a single tear flowing down her cheek.

I cupped her face and turned it towards me. "What?" I was holding my breath.

With my hand still on her cheek, she pressed her hand into my bare chest. I was still holding my breath. "I love you."

I let my breath fall out but then my brow furrowed. She still sounded like she was in pain. I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you too." I brushed her tear away. "Wise girl, are you okay?"

"Perseus," I stiffened. She never called me that. "You don't know. I love you." Her voice softened. "My heart is yours. I'm yours. I need you," another tear slipped. "I need you to breath. I need you to live."

"Love," I sat up on my side more. "Where is this coming from?"

"We're together," she said, answering it all. "Just, being with your family." Her lips twitched. "They're my family. You're my family. You're my everything."

"Annabeth," now it was my turn for my voice to be pained. "You, I," I shut my eyes. I wanted to tell her the same. That I couldn't live without her. I had to for five months and I couldn't be without her for long, even if it was to eat. I needed her near me.

"I thought you should know," she said. "I know you. You show me your love. Hades, you showed me your love by not leaving my side for five months. I just wanted you to know. I needed you to tell you."

"I know," I held her head in my hands. "I know." Gods, I needed to marry this girl.

The next morning, I woke up and couldn't stop staring at my girlfriend. Her curly blonde princess hair falling around her pillow, in our bed. Our white comforter wrapped around her frame. She hogged the blankets but that was a compromise I was willing to make.

"Percy," Annabeth groaned out, not opening her eyes. "You're staring."

"Can I not look at my beautiful girlfriend?" I protested.

"I look terrible," she said.

"I disagree," I kissed her forehead and her stormy grey eyes flew open.

She flipped onto her back. "What time is it?"

I glanced at the clock. "9:30."

"Di immortals," Annabeth ripped the blanket off of her and hurried to the bathroom.

I frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Seaweed brain," Annabeth turned the shower on. "We're meeting Emilo today, remember?" Oh, right! Calypso and Leo's baby boy. "And we're running late," she called out.

A light gleaned in my eyes. "So, does that mean we should shower together?"

"Percy!" Annabeth gasped as I ran to the bathroom and joined her. I kissed her neck and things progressed.

Annabeth fussed with her hair again. I grabbed her hand. "Annabeth, you look great."

She scowled, but it was a cute scowl. "I look like I just got screwed." She frowned as she checked her watch, "and we're almost an hour late."

I kissed her cheek as she rang the doorbell. "They won't be able to tell."

A moment later, Leo answered the door. He had a plain red t-shirt on that was stained with baby spit-up. Yet, he had a crazy smile on his face. Maybe crazy from baby happiness. Maybe crazy from lack of sleep. Both were viable options.

"Hey guys," Leo smiled and gestured for us to come in.

"Sorry, we were late," Annabeth began. "The alarm didn't go off and," Leo just laughed and cut her off.

"And you were screwing?" Leo eyed back and forth between us.

Annabeth's face went red but then she quickly hit my arm. I feigned pain. "Hey!"

"I told you they would notice," Annabeth mumbled.

Leo smirked. "Hey, no shame. I mean, I have a kid, I know what goes on." Leo glanced at the living room. "Speaking of which," he smiled even wider. "Want to meet him?"

I couldn't say anything, only nod. Leo led us into the living room where Calypso sat cradling a small bundle. A small moving bundle. Their baby boy was kicking out of his yellow blanket with his fat little feet. As we approached, his arms stretched out as if he just woke up from a long nap.

"Leo, Calypso," Annabeth's voice caught in her throat. The pain, the love in her voice was similar to the night before. Leo, Calypso, and now Emilo were our family too.

Calypso shifted the baby boy in her arms. "Do you want to hold him?"

Wordlessly, I walked over and sat down next to Calypso and she shifted her so to my arms. The couch sank as Annabeth sat behind me; her hand rested on my shoulder in awe as me.

Little Emilo opened his eyes right as he was placed in my arms. He needed to see this new person holding him. His eyes were a deep brown like his father's, but his hair had a distinct blondeness to it as his mother's. He gurgled and smirked, the same smile as Leo's.

"He's something, isn't he?" Leo sat down next to his wife.

"He is," I rocked him in my arms as emotion built up in my throat.

Annabeth reached her hand around me and Emilo grasped her finger. The way his hand moved, the life inside of him. Gods, I choked up. I managed out, "Want to hold him?"

"Yeah," Annabeth reached out and I placed the baby in her arms.

She pulled him into her body. The way she was holding him, she was a natural. The last time I had seen her hold a baby was my sister when she was first born. I had pictured possibly us having kids someday, but that had been so far into the future then. Now, it could be closer than we could think.

The last time I had held a baby; he had been dead. I had held my dead baby in my arms. My baby boy, Jayce. He would have been a little older than Emilo. Maybe they would have been friends.

Emotion boiled in me and I needed to get away from this perfect baby boy. I stood up too quickly and all eyes flew to me. "I'm sorry, I need, I," then I turned on my heels. The front door was too far away, I needed air. I opened the door to the balcony and shut it swiftly behind me.

I couldn't breath as tears began to come to my eyes. I curled into a ball and huddled on the ground. Jayce. Gods. I hadn't thought of him in so long which made me feel terrible. Annabeth had been my sole focus the last couple of months.

Seeing Emilo, memories came rushing in. Maybe not quite memories, more could have beens. I could have had the baby. I could have had the sleepless nights, but the incredible baby happiness that came with them too.

"Percy?" Annabeth slipped out of the apartment and joined me on the balcony. I lifted my face out of my knees. "Percy," her voice grew sad as she sat down next to me and wiped tears off my face. I hadn't even known I'd been crying.

"I miss him," I let out a sob and Annabeth's face fell, understanding. "Jayce. Seeing Emilo. I want that. I should have that."

Annabeth pulled me into her arms, and I rested my head on her lap. She ran her hands through my slightly too long black hair. She broke the silence, "It won't take away from Jayce but," she sighed. "We'll have that someday." She began wistfully. "I mean, if you want. And not right now. Like your mom said, marriage first. I mean, if you want to get married," I grasped her hand and brought it to my lips.

"You're rambling," I let out a sad laugh.

She sighed. "I love you."

I smiled. "You've been saying that a lot lately." I paused. "Do Leo and Calypso hate me?"

She shook her head. "They understood immediately. That's why they thought you didn't want to see him in the first place."

"It's not, it wasn't," I tried to say. "You were in the hospital. I couldn't tear myself away. I," she pressed her lips to me.

"I know, Percy. They know." Silence.

"Is it terrible I want to go and hold him again, even after running away? Even after thinking about Jayce?" I asked.

"Percy, gods, no," she kissed my forehead. "Do you want to go back in?"

"In a minute," I said.

So, before I held him again, we stayed outside. Annabeth ran her hands through my hair. Gods, I needed to get an engagement ring. I needed I plan. I needed to marry this woman.

 **This is a little short, but I still hoped you enjoyed. With everything going on in the world, I'm trying to write more in my free time. This story is something I'm proud of and am hoping to add to in the coming weeks. I already have a few ideas for the next couple of chapters. Please, read and review! Let me know what you think and what you like or don't like, either through reviews or direct messages. Hearing from you is always very encouraging. Thank you so much again for taking the time and reading. I value you all!**


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